Alfaroa costaricensis
Encyclopedia
Alfaroa costaricensis, also known as campano chile, chiciscua, gaulin, gavilán colorado, or gavilancillo, is nut bearing timber tree in the Juglandaceae
family. It is native to the Neotropics, from Mexico
, through Central America
to Colombia
.
The seed is a nut, one-chambered at the apex and eight-chambered at the base, which measures 1.6 to 2.5 cm long and 1.4 to 1.6 cm in diameter, and is protected by a hard, thick, brown pericarp. Germination is hypogeal
. The leaves are pinately compound, and are distinguishable from other species by their heavy pubescence. The male inflorescences is a panicle
, consisting of approximately ten catkin
s arranged alternately. The female flowers are sessile
on a catkin.
Juglandaceae
The Juglandaceae, also known as the Walnut Family, is a family of trees, or sometimes shrubs, in the order Fagales. Various members of this family are native to the Americas, Eurasia, and Southeast Asia....
family. It is native to the Neotropics, from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, through Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
Habitat
A. costaricensis normally grows in cloudy areas on well-drained soils with slopes of 5% or more at elevations between 600 and 2200 m which receive 1500-2500 mm of precipitation and sustain temperatures of 15 to 20°C. This tree does not grow well in the shade.Description
A. costaricensis is a slow growing tree with pink heartwood. It can reach 27 m in height and 60 cm diameter at breast height (d.b.h.).The seed is a nut, one-chambered at the apex and eight-chambered at the base, which measures 1.6 to 2.5 cm long and 1.4 to 1.6 cm in diameter, and is protected by a hard, thick, brown pericarp. Germination is hypogeal
Hypogeal
Hypogeal means "underground".* In botany, a seed is described as hypogeal when the cotyledons of the germinating seed remain non-photosynthetic, inside the seed shell, and below ground...
. The leaves are pinately compound, and are distinguishable from other species by their heavy pubescence. The male inflorescences is a panicle
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
, consisting of approximately ten catkin
Catkin
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster, with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated but sometimes insect pollinated . They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem which is often drooping...
s arranged alternately. The female flowers are sessile
Sessility (botany)
In botany, sessility is a characteristic of plants whose flowers or leaves are borne directly from the stem or peduncle, and thus lack a petiole or pedicel...
on a catkin.