Cecropia peltata
Cecropia peltata
Safety & Hazards
The branches and leaf petioles of Cecropia species are often hollow and can harbour stinging ants. The trees attract the ants by means of producing a honey-like sap and the ants respond by working to keep the tree free of leaf-eating pests - which can include humans[ 318 Title Raintree Nutrition - Tropical Plant Database Publication Author Website http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Detailed information on the medicinal uses of more than two hundred rainforest plants, mainly from S. America, with basic descriptions of the plants, their other uses etc. ].
Botanical Description
The trumpet tree is a small or medium-sized evergreen tree with a very open and thin crown comprised of a few stout branches arising high on the trunk and curving upward; it can sometimes reach a height of 20 metres. The bole is usually 10 - 30cm in diameter, occasionally to 50cm, with stilt or prop roots at the base that can be 1 metre tall. The tree becomes shortly deciduous in areas with a distinct dry season[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ , 379 Title Silvics of North America. Agricultural Handbook No. 654. Publication Author Burns. R.M. & Honkala. B.H. Website http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm Publisher USDA Forest Service; Washington DC. Year 1990 ISBN Description A very comprehensice guide to about 200 species of timber trees of N. America, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Mainly temperate species, plus a number of tropical species. It is downloadable from the Internet. , 447 Title Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Publication Author Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H. Publisher USDA, Forest Service; Washington. Year 1964 ISBN Description Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species. ]. A multipurpose tree, it is gathered from the wild for food, medicine and various other uses. A very good pioneer species, it is also occasionally cultivated as an ornamental in the tropics, being valued for its large, umbrella-shaped crown of attractive leaves that are silver-felted beneath[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ].