Cedrela tonduzii
Encyclopedia
Cedrela tonduzii is a monoecious tree that grows up to 40 m and can reach a diameter at breast height
of up to 180 cm, but generally averages 80 cm.
This species is distributed from Chiapas
, in southern México
, to Panamá
. It has been found to grow at altitudes of 1200 m (3,937 ft) to 2800 m (9,186 ft) and slopes ranging from 15° to 40° of inclination
. In Costa Rica
it is found on the Cordillera Central, on the Cordillera de Talamanca
and presumably on the Cordillera de Guanacaste
.
The tree crown is open, with low vertical ramification
. The bark is gray-brown and may exfoliate
in small irregular plates. Leaves
are compound, pinnate
and range from 20 to 50 cm in length. Each leaf has 5 to 9 pairs of leaflets, 7.5 to 15 cm long and up to 10 cm wide, light green in colour and glaucous
below. Flowering occurs in April and May, being pollinated by insects. The fruit capsules appear June to July and dehisce
after drying, releasing 25 to 30 seeds that are easily dispersed by wind.
The species has been named to honour the naturalist Adolphe Tonduz
.
Diameter at breast height
Diameter at breast height, or DBH, is a standard method of expressing the diameter of the trunk or bole of a standing tree. DBH is one of the most common dendrometric measurements....
of up to 180 cm, but generally averages 80 cm.
This species is distributed from Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, in southern México
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...
, to Panamá
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. It has been found to grow at altitudes of 1200 m (3,937 ft) to 2800 m (9,186 ft) and slopes ranging from 15° to 40° of inclination
Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
. In Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
it is found on the Cordillera Central, on the Cordillera de Talamanca
Cordillera de Talamanca
The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies on the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in the La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries....
and presumably on the Cordillera de Guanacaste
Cordillera de Guanacaste
The Cordillera de Guanacaste, also called Guanacaste Cordillera, are a volcanic mountain range in northern Costa Rica near the border with Nicaragua. The mountain range stretches 110 km from northwest to the southeast and contains mostly complex stratovolcanoes...
.
The tree crown is open, with low vertical ramification
Ramification (botany)
In botany, ramification is the divergence of the stem and limbs of a plant into smaller ones, i.e. trunk into branches, branches into increasingly smaller branches, etc. Gardeners stimulate the process of ramification through pruning, thereby making trees, shrubs and other plants bushier and...
. The bark is gray-brown and may exfoliate
Exfoliation (botany)
Exfoliation means the removal or loss of leaves from a plant. It is used both to describe the loss of a leaves as a natural part of a plant’s life cycle or because of some trauma or outside cause Exfoliation (from the term "foliate", meaning “related to leaves”) means the removal or loss of...
in small irregular plates. 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 compound, pinnate
Pinnate
Pinnate is a term used to describe feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis in plant or animal structures, and comes from the Latin word pinna meaning "feather", "wing", or "fin". A similar term is pectinate, which refers to a comb-like arrangement of parts...
and range from 20 to 50 cm in length. Each leaf has 5 to 9 pairs of leaflets, 7.5 to 15 cm long and up to 10 cm wide, light green in colour and glaucous
Glaucous
Glaucous is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the Glaucous Gull , Glaucous-winged Gull , Glaucous Macaw , and Glaucous...
below. Flowering occurs in April and May, being pollinated by insects. The fruit capsules appear June to July and dehisce
Dehiscence (botany)
Dehiscence is the opening, at maturity, in a pre-defined way, of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that open in this way are said to be dehiscent...
after drying, releasing 25 to 30 seeds that are easily dispersed by wind.
The species has been named to honour the naturalist Adolphe Tonduz
Adolphe Tonduz
Adolphe Tonduz was a Swiss botanist who collected plants in both Guatemala and Costa Rica. He was the first director of the National Herbarium of Costa Rica, which was founded in 1887...
.