Clusia
| Clusia | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Clusia fluminensis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Clusiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Clusioideae |
| Tribe: | Clusieae |
| Genus: | Clusia L. |
| Species | |
|
Around 145, see text |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Androstylium Miq. |
|
Clusia is the type genus of the family Clusiaceae. Comprising 140-150 species, it is native to tropical and subtropical America. The genus Clusia was named in honor of botanist Carolus Clusius.
Description
Its species are shrubs, vines and small to medium-size trees up to 20 m tall, with evergreen foliage. Some species start life as epiphytes, then developing long roots that descend to the ground and eventually strangle and kill the host tree, in a manner similar to strangler figs.
The leaves are opposite, 5-20 cm long and 5-10 cm broad, with a leathery texture and an entire margin. The flowers are white to greenish-white, yellow or pink, with 4-9 petals. The fruit is a leathery greenish-brown valvate capsule which splits open to release several red, fleshy-coated seeds.
Selected species
- Clusia arborea
- Clusia carinata
- Clusia clarendonensis
- Clusia clusioides
- Clusia croatii
- Clusia cupulata
- Clusia fluminensis Planch. & Triana
- Clusia guttifera
- clusia grandiflora
- Clusia lanceolata
- Clusia longipetiolata
- Clusia major – Copey, Autograph Tree, Pitch-apple
- Clusia minutiflora
- Clusia osseocarpa
- Clusia palmicida
- Clusia plurivalvis
- Clusia polystigma
- Clusia portlandiana
- Clusia pseudomangle
- Clusia rosea – Scotch attorney, Autograph Tree, Pitch-apple
- Clusia skotaster
- Clusia tarmensis
- Clusia uvitana
- Clusia valerioi
Gallery
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Autograph tree (C. rosea): leaf with autograph, flower, fresh fruit, and dried fruit.
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Clusia lanceolata, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
-_leaf_with_autograph,_flower,_fresh_fruit,_and_dried_fruit.jpg)
External links
Media related to Clusia at Wikimedia Commons
- Clusia rosea photos
- Key to Clusia species from Brazil (Portuguese)
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