Costa Rican Pacific Slope Trees
Ordered by Family:
Anacardiaceae/ Annonaceae/ Apocynaceae/ Aracaceae/ Bignoniaceae/ Bombacaceae/ Boraginaceae/ Burseraceae/ Capparidaceae/ Cecropiaceae/ Celastraceae/ Crysobalanaceae/ Clusiaceae/ Cochlospermaceae/ Combretaceae/ Eleaocarpaceae/ Erythroxylaceae/ Euphorbiaceae/ Fabaceae/ Flacourtiaceae/ Lauraceae/ Lecythidaceae/ Malpighiaceae/ Malvaceae/ Meliaceae/ Zygophyllaceae
The Anacardiaceae is a medium-sized (600 sp.) family of trees, shrubs, and vines that enjoys pantropical and subtropical distribution. One of the most useful diagnostic features shared by many of its members is the thick, clear-yellow, and pungently smelling (sometimes poisonous) resin present in the leaves, stems and fruits. Otherwise, Anacardiaceae leaves are usually pinnately compound and alternate; flowers are regular, bisexual, and possess parts in five's; and fruits are drupes. Many important species belong to this family. Food producing trees include the cashew (Anacardium occidentale - in which the seed grows below and exterior to the main body of the fruit), the jocote (Spondias purpurea), the pistachio (Pistacia vera), and the mango (Mangifera indica - a tree native to India but now naturalized in much of the world's tropics). Timber trees include the Espavel (Anacardium excelsum) and the Quebracho (Schinopsis quebracho-colorado). Sumacs (Rhus sp.) - including poison ivy (Rhus radicans) - are among the few temperate representatives of the Anacardiaceae (Kupicha, 1978).
The Annonaceae is a large (2000 sp.) family of pantropically distributed trees and shrubs. Thought to be one of the most ancient families of flowering plants, it's flowers bear a number of characteristics usually associated with primitive angiosperms. (These latter features include bisexual, symmetrical blossoms with many parts - all the sepals, stamens, petals, etc. being present; an indefinite number of free petals and sepals; and spirally arranged perianth parts.) Members of the Annonaceae consistently exhibit woody stems laced with canals harboring aromatic oils; glossy leaves arranged in two-tiered rows; fragrant, drooping, regular flowers with many stamens and perianth parts found in multiples of three; and fruits as berries (Mabberley, 1978). Of economic importance are Annonaceae species such as soursop and sweetsop (Annona sp.) whose fruits are used to make refreshing soft drinks, and the extremely odorous, perpetually flowering ylang-ylang tree (Cananga odorata), widely planted in the tropics as an ornamental.
A large (1500 sp.), family of pantropical and subtropical distribution, the Apocynaceae includes large and small trees, shrubs, vines and a few herbs. Members share simple leaves that possess - along with other parts of the plant - abundant milky latex; bisexual and fragrant flowers with fused petals (spirally-arranged in the bud) forming a tubular corolla; and fruits that are usually paired and dehiscent. The family is important as a producer of chemicals for medical and industrial use; including cardiac glycosides from Cerbera, Thevetia, Apocynum and other genera; ouabain and cymarin from Strophanthus sp. seeds; and the alkaloids reserpine and rescinnamine from Rauvolfia sp. In addition, some species provide latex for rubber. A few are prized ornamentals, including the widely-planted, Central American frangipani (Plumeria rubra) (Wilkinson, 1978).
The palm family of plants, the Arecaceae, belongs to - and represents the tallest members of - the subclass of flowering plants (Angiosperms) known as the monocots. Monocot species number approximately 50,000 and include the grasses, orchids, bromeliads, bananas, and heliconias. Vegetatively, all monocots share a single seed leaf, flowers with parts in threes (or multiples thereof), and leaves with parallel (not net-like) venation. The palms themselves share a tighter set of obvious and distinguishing character traits that merit mention. As suggested above, all the Arecaceae possess a single growth region in the above ground part of the tree that is responsible for producing all new stem and leaf material. If this palm heart dies - or is harvested - the entire tree dies. Since this growth region is found at the tip of the trunk, only increases in height are possible. Thus, all palms exhibit leafless and branchless boles of constant diameter with a single, umbrella-like cluster of fronds perched on the top. As these fronds die, they fall from the tree and leave behind pronounced, encircling leaf scars on the bole. Palm flowers and fruits are occur in large racemes that are initially covered and protected by a cup-shaped, often woody covert. Palm leaves are long, easily recognizable, pinnate structures (of which the leaves of the common coconut palms are typical). Folded in the bud, they slowly unfurl and the new palm frond matures. Palm trees are frequently small in stature. Many share a niche in the humid primary forest understory and are thus adapted to low light levels and perpetually moist soils.
A medium sized family (650 sp.) of pantropically distributed woody lianas and trees, the Bignoniaceae reaches its greatest diversity in South America. Its members are characterized by opposite, compound leaves; showy, bell or funnel shaped flowers with four stamens; and dehiscent fruits containing winged seeds. Of economic importance are a few timber trees (Tabebuia and Catalpa) as well as ornamentals from the Tabebuia, Spathodea, Kigelia, and Jacaranda genera (Richardson, 1978). Spathodea campanulata, the Forest Flame tree, has been widely planted in Costa Rica. It is an African species prized for its abundant, and showy bright orange flowers.
The Bombacaceae is an interesting but small (160 sp.) family of trees of pantropical distribution. It reaches its greatest diversity in the rain forests of South America. Anatomical features frequently encountered among members of the group include swollen, water-storing boles (an adaptation for trees in dry habitats); palmately compound, often deciduous foliage; large, nocturnal, bat-pollinated flowers with numerous long stamens and brightly colored perianth parts in five's; capsular fruits with seeds embedded in cotton; and light, pale colored wood (Humphries, 1978). Famous Bombacaceae species include the immense Ceiba or Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) - frequently the sole tree left standing in pastures and the source of kapok (a cottony stuffing material); the Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale) with its light but sturdy wood; and the African Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata).
The Boraginaceae is a large family (2000 sp.) of cosmopolitan distribution. Its members include representatives of all growth forms - from herbs and shrubs to vines and trees. Defining characteristics include the presence of fine, rough hairs on stems and leaves; simple, alternate foliage; five-part, regular, bisexual flowers with stamens attached to the lobed corollas; and fruits as drupes. The family is appreciated mainly for its ornamental species, with heliotrope (Heliotropium), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia), and forget-me-nots (Myosotis) constituting well-known examples. Alkanna tinctoria provides a red dye that is used to color wood, wine, medicines, and cosmetics. Borage (Borago officinalis) is a garden herb (Bramwell, 1978).
The Burseraceae is a medium sized family (500 sp.) of pantropical and subtropical trees and shrubs, with important, large species occurring in Malaya and Africa, as well as in America. Characteristic anatomical features shared by most members of the family include the copious amounts of resin that is found in all plant parts; imparipinnately compound leaves often clustered near branch tips; small, greenish and unisexual flowers; and capsular or drupaceous fruits. Wood is obtained from species of Canarium, Dacryodes, Santiria, and Aucoumea in Malaya and Africa. Boswellia carteri is the Somalian source of frankincense while myrrh derives from Commiphora abyssinica. Bursera has been used as a source of varnish in Mexico. Bursera, Protium, and Tetragastris are the best represented genera of this family in South and Central America (Wilkinson, 1978).
The Capparidaceae is a medium sized family (700 sp.) of pantropical and subtropical distribution, with some species found in temperate regions as well. Including herbs, shrubs, trees, and vines, it is an important component of the vegetation inhabiting Africa's drier regions. Usual anatomical hallmarks include alternate leaves that are simple or palmately compound; bisexual flowers with sepals, petals, and stamens found in fours or some multiple thereof; and fruits that are capsules or berries. The family has few famous members, though Capers are the flower buds of various Capparis species and Cleome spinosa (spider flower) is grown as a flowering garden plant (Heywood, 1978).
The Celastraceae is a medium sized, nearly cosmopolitan family (850 sp.) of trees and shrubs, whose greatest concentration occurs in the tropics. The group shares simple leaves that are alternate or opposite; small, greenish flowers with parts in threes, fours, or fives and possessing a glandular, fleshy disk; fruits as capsules, samaras, berries or drupes; and seeds that are often ariled. Maytenus is the largest genus in the Celastraceae, possessing 225 species. Important members of this family include the source of Arabian tea (Catha edulis); various species of Euonymus that provide fine-grained wood (E. europaeus, E. hians), soap and yellow dye (E. europaeus), latex (E. japonicus, E. sieboldiana) and medicine (E. purpureus, E. americanus); and species of Celastrus, Elaeodendron, Maytenus, and Pachystima that are used as ornamentals (Chant, 1978).
The Chrysobalanaceae is a small family (400 sp.) of pantropical and subtropical trees and shrubs. As a group, they have simple, alternate leaves; bisexual flowers with five sepals, two to five petals, and two to 300 stamens; and fruits as drupes. Licania (151 sp.) and Hirtella (89 sp.) are its largest genera, and both are primarily centered in tropical America. Licania supplies water and rot-resistant wood (L. ternatensis) and seed oil (L. rigida and L. arborea). Licania arborea, a dry forest species found in north-western Costa Rica, provides oil for candle and soap making. Also of interest, are the genera Maranthes (12 sp.), of African origin, and the pantropical Parinari (43 sp.). Many species of Parinari are exploited for their fruits in Africa and, along with Maranthes, as timber trees in the Solomon islands (Mabberley, 1978).
The Clusiaceae (once called the Guttiferae) is a large family (1000 sp.) of mostly tropical trees, shrubs, and clinging vines. Members share thick, simple, and opposite leaves with closely-spaced, parallel veins; brightly colored (red, yellow, or orange) sap; unisexual or bisexual flowers with parts in fours or fives; and fruits as capsules or drupes. The most renown members of this family are those with edible fruits - primarily the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) and the mammey apple (Mammea americana). Others species are exploited for their ability to provide medicinal drugs (Calophyllum), resins (Garcinia, Clusia), durable wood (Calophyllum, Mesua), dyes (Visma), and cosmetics (Mesua) (Robson, 1978).
The Cochlospermaceae is a small pan-tropical family of trees and shrubs consisting of only two genera: Cochlospermum with 30 species and Amoreuxia with 8. Most of its members share alternate, palmately-lobed leaves; regular, bisexual flowers; and fruits that are valved-capsules. The Cochlospermum often sport showy flowers, most notably C. vitifolium of Central America(see description) and C. religiosum of India. (Morley, 1978).
The Combretaceae is a medium sized family (475 sp.) of pantropically distributed trees, shrubs, and vines. Its members possess opposite or alternate, entire leaves; small, bisexual flowers on spikes or racemes and with parts arranged in fives; and fruits that are either wind-carried samaras or animal (or water) dispersed fleshy drupes. The Terminalia genus contains some 150 species and is characterized by petal-less flowers and spirally arranged leaves. This genus is important for its timber, with T. oblonga and the West African idigbo (T. ivorensis) and afara (T. superba) particularly worthy of note in this regard (Stace, 1978). The Combretaceae include three genera of mangrove species as well, with Laguncularia racemosa present in Manuel Antonio. This latter species is interesting for its aerial roots - short shoots that emerge from the roots and rise above the mangrove mud to obtain oxygen.
The Elaeocarpaceae is a small family (350 sp.) of trees and shrubs. Poorly represented in Central America, it's members are more typical of southern South America and South-east Asia. They share alternate or opposite leaves with stipules; regular, bisexual flowers with many stamens and perianth parts in four's or five's (petals, though, may be lacking); and fruits as capsules or drupes. Sloanea itself is a large genus, containing about 120 of the family's species. All produce woody capsules covered by rigid spines. (Morley, 1978). S. terniflora and S. ligulata are two further Sloanea trees found in Costa Rica. The former, present in Guanacaste, has smaller capsules with fine and short, bristle-like spines while the later, common in the forested region around Volcan Arenal, has huge (15 cm) pods with long, wiry quills.
The Erythroxylaceae is a small family (260 sp.) of shrubs and trees comprising four genera of pantropical distribution but centered in South America's Andean/Amazon region. Important vegetative characteristics include simple, alternate, elliptical leaves with stipules; small, bisexual flowers with a five part perianth and ten stamens; and a fruit as an ovoid drupe. Aside from the narcotic alkaloid obtained from Erythroxylum coca and E. novaranatense , oils, dyes, tar, and wood have been harvested from different members of this family (Humphries, 1978).
The Euphorbiaceae is a huge plant family (5000 species in 300 genera) of nearly cosmopolitan distribution but that reaches its greatest concentration in the tropics. Anatomical features include simple, alternate leaves with stipules; five-part, unisexual flowers borne on the same or separate plants; and fruits as schizocarps or drupes. The Euphorbieae, one of eight major tribes that the family is broken into (including Hura, Hippomane, Sapium, and Euphorbia), is further characterized by its abundant, white latex sap. This latex is usually poisonous - as in Hippomane mancinella (see below) and Hura crepitans (the Sandbox tree: its sap has been placed in streams in order to blind and intoxicate fish). The Euphorbiaceae contain a variety of important species, including those exploited for the production of natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), tapioca (Manihot esculenta), castor oil (Ricinus communis), purgatives (Jatropha, Croton tiglium - the later being the most powerful known and so strong that it is no longer used), and the ornamental poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) (Radcliffe-Smith, 1978).
Depending upon the reference sited, the Caesalpiniaceae is either considered to be an independent plant family or one of three subfamilies (along with the Mimosaceae and the Papilionaceae) within the Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) family. The Fabaceae, then, is an immense (17,000 sp.), cosmopolitan family of trees, shrubs, herbs and climbers. The most usual - but by no means universal - characteristics of this large group include: alternate, pinnately compound leaves that often "close" (fold up) at night; root swellings, called nodules, containing bacteria (Rhizobium sp.) capable of converting molecular (atmospheric) nitrogen into forms (nitrates, nitrites) more usable by plants; five-part, bisexual flowers in racemes; and fruits that are single-chambered pods enclosing one or many hard-coated seeds.
The Caesalpiniaceae family (or Caesalpinioideae subfamily) is a large group (3000 sp.) of tropical and subtropical trees and shrubs. Its members possess pinnate or bipinnate foliage and irregular flowers with ten or fewer stamens. Well known representatives of the Caesalpiniaceae include the flamboyant or malinche tree (Delonix regia - native to Africa, but planted widely as an ornamental in Costa Rica), with large, red flowers, and massively woody, flat pods; and the tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica), with yellow flowers and fruits that are used to make a local soft drink; and the many species of Cassia (See Cassia grandis) (Chant, 1978).
Fabaceae/Mimosaceae
The Mimosaceae is either given the status of an independent plant family or it is grouped, together with the Caesalpiniaceae and the Papilionaceae, as a subfamily within the Fabaceae family. Tropical and subtropical in distribution, the Mimosaceae family (or Mimosoideae subfamily) contains 500-3000 species of trees and shrubs. In addition to those characteristics common to all members of the Fabaceae, anatomical features unique to, or representative of, the Mimosaceae include leaves that are compound and often bipinnate and composed of minute leaflets; regular flowers with multiple, filamentous stamens; and fruits as woody or papery pods. Economically important representatives include the Australian black and golden wattle trees (Acacia sp.), providing wattle bark used for tanning, and the Central American Pithecellobium (now Samanea), Enterolobium, and Albizia genera, representing valuable sources of fine hardwoods(Chant, 1978).
Fabaceae/Papilionaceae
The Papilionceae is either considered to be an independent plant family or one of three subfamilies (along with the Mimosaceae and the Caesalpiniaceae) within the Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) family. The Papilionaceae, the largest of the three, contains some 10,000 species in 450 genera. Mostly made up of herbaceous plants but including some trees and shrubs, the family boasts cosmopolitan distribution. In addition to the anatomical features common to all legumes (see Copaifera aromatica), the plants of the Papilionaceae possess alternate, usually pinnately compound leaves, and bisexual, butterfly-shaped, irregular flowers with ten stamens. Of vital importance in today's world, the Papilionaceae include many food and soil-enriching plants. Both clover (Trifolium repens) and lucerne (Medicago sativa) are grown on fallow fields and later turned into the soil in order to enrich it with nitrogen compounds. Garden peas (Pisum sativum), chick peas (Cicer arietinum), kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), lentils (Lens culinaris), and soybeans (Glycine max) are just a few of the many bean species that are responsible for supplying much of the worlds' protein requirements (Chant, 1978).
A medium sized family of 1250 species, the Flacourtiaceae is made up of trees and shrubs distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. Few botanical characteristics serve to unite this group, but most members do share simple leaves; regular, multi-staminate flowers with petals small or absent; and fruits as berries, drupes, capsules, or samaras. Spines often appear on Flacourtiaceae branches or trunks and flowers may be unisexual, and - if so - the sexes are segregated on different plants. Renown representatives of this family are few - being limited to a few ornamentals, the Burmese Taraktogenos kurzii tree that provides chaulmoogra oil (used in treating leprosy), and the timber tree Gossypiospermum praecox, source of West Indian boxwood (Morley, 1978).
The Lauraceae is a very large family (2500 sp.) of mostly pan-tropical to sub-tropical (rarely temperate) trees and shrubs. Shared anatomical features include simple, leathery, evergreen leaves containing cavities filled with aromatic oils; regular, inconspicuous, primitive flowers with parts in threes or multiples thereof; and fruits as berries or drupes. Foods, timbers, and oils are the main products obtained from this family, with cinnamon (and camphor) obtained from the bark of Cinnamomum sp.; oil of sassafras from Sassafras sp.; avocados from Persea americana; wood from species of Ocotea (green heart), Litsea, Endiandra, and Beilschmiedia; and bay leaves from Laurus nobilis (Richardson, 1978).
The Lecythidaceae is a small to medium sized family (450 sp.) of pantropically distributed trees, reaching its greatest diversity and abundance in South America. Vegetative characteristics shared by its members include simple, alternate, large leaves; showy, bisexual, bat-pollinated flowers born in terminal spikes and varying in color from yellow to white, pink or red; and large, woody, indehiscent fruits. Bertholletia excelsa, the source of Brazil nuts, is probably the most renown member of the Lecythidaceae. Native to the Amazon basin, this large tree generates heavy, seed-filled pods that can be dangerous when they fall to the ground from high in the canopy. Other seeds, collectively referred to as Sapucaia nuts, are obtained from various species of Lecythis. The cannonball tree (present in Costa Rica), Couroupita guianensis, is known for its large, red flowers and globular, 20 cm fruits - the latter found hanging alongside the bole. One of the few tree species that relies on gravity for seed dispersal, Couroupita's pods are reportedly capable of rolling significant distances down slopes. Valuable woods are obtained from Lecythis grandiflora (wadadura wood), Careya (tummy wood), and Bertholletia excelsa (Jones, 1978).
The Malpighiaceae is a medium to large (800 sp.) family of shrubs, trees, and vines. Though pantropical in distribution, the Malpighiaceae reaches its greatest diversity in South America where it most likely originated. Anatomically, the family shares simple, opposite leaves; bisexual flowers borne in racemes with perianth parts in five's and ten stamens; and fruits that are drupes or are dry and divide into capsules-like parts (shizocarps). The family is an important source of ornamentals (Stigmaphyllon ciliatum, Tristellateia australasiae), cordage (Banisteria sp.), and hallucinatory drugs (Banisteria caapi). Malpighia glabra, (Nanci), a tree native to Costa Rica, is prized locally for its edible, yellow drupes (1.5 cm). Possessing an unusual flavor and aroma, they are often fermented and used in wine-making (Morley, 1978).
The Malvaceae (Cotton, Mallows) is a large (1000 sp.), cosmopolitan family of herbs, shrubs, and trees that reaches its greatest diversity in South America. Morphologically, its members share simple, alternate leaves with stellate hairs and stipules; bisexual, regular flowers with five, free, convolute petals, multiple stamens fused to a tube that itself is attached to the corolla, and a pistil with a divided style; fruits as dry capsules often baring hair-covered seeds; and often mucilaginous sap. Hibiscus, with 300 species, is a widely cultivated ornamental genus of shrubs prized for its large, showy flowers. Okra is obtained from H. esculentus. Fiber-producing Malvaceaes include Gossypium sp. (cotton), Abutilon avicennae (China jute), and Urena lobata (aramina) (Jury, 1978).
The Meliaceae is a small to medium sized family (550 sp.) of pantropically distributed trees and shrubs. Anatomically, most possess alternate, pinnately compound leaves; regular, bisexual or unisexual flowers with parts arranged in threes, fours, or fives; and fruits as capsules, berries, or drupes. By far, the family is most appreciated for its precious hardwoods it provides, including Mahogany (Swietenia sp.), Spanish Cedar (Cedrela mexicana), and Caobilla (Carapa guianenses). In addition, oils for soap making (Trichilia emetica - Uganda), and lighting (Chisocheton macrophyllus - Malaysia) as well as insecticides (Melia sp.) are derived from various Meliaceae plant parts (Mabberley, 1978).