Couratari
Encyclopedia
Couratari is a genus of flowering plant
s in the family Lecythidaceae
, native to tropical South America
. They are large tree
s,often rising above the rainforest
canopy. The leaves
are evergreen
, alternate, simple, elliptical, up to 15 cm long, with a serrate to serrulate margin. Vernation
lines parallel to the midvein are often visible - a very unusual characteristic. The fruit
is 6-15 cm long, and roughly conical. A central plug drops out at maturity, releasing the winged seeds
to be dispersed by wind. The fruit of Cariniana
may be distinguished from those of Couratari, as the former have longitudinal ridges, whereas the latter bears a single calyx-derived ring near the fruit apex.
Selected species
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family Lecythidaceae
Lecythidaceae
The Lecythidaceae comprise a family of about 20 genera and 250-300 species of woody plants native to tropical South America and Madagascar.According to the most recent molecular analysis of Lecythidaceae The Lecythidaceae comprise a family of about 20 genera and 250-300 species of woody plants...
, native to tropical South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. They are large tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s,often rising above the rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
canopy. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
, alternate, simple, elliptical, up to 15 cm long, with a serrate to serrulate margin. Vernation
Vernation
Vernation is the formation of new leaves or fronds. In plant anatomy, it is the arrangement of leaves in a bud....
lines parallel to the midvein are often visible - a very unusual characteristic. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is 6-15 cm long, and roughly conical. A central plug drops out at maturity, releasing the winged seeds
SEEDS
SEEDS is a voluntary organisation registered under the Societies Act of India....
to be dispersed by wind. The fruit of Cariniana
Cariniana
Cariniana is a genus of trees in the family Lecythidaceae, native to South America. Many are of importance for timber production.It contains the following species:* Cariniana decandra* Cariniana estrellensis...
may be distinguished from those of Couratari, as the former have longitudinal ridges, whereas the latter bears a single calyx-derived ring near the fruit apex.
Selected species
- Couratari astrotricha - Brazil
- Couratari guianensisCouratari guianensisThe Fine-leaf Wadara, Cachimbo Caspi, Cachimbo, Capa De Tabaco, Coco Cabuyo, or Tauari is a species of woody plant in the Lecythidaceae family....
- Costa Rica to Bolivia - Couratari macrosperma - Southern Peru & Northern Bolivia
- Couratari multiflora - Bolivia