Clusia
Encyclopedia
Clusia is the type genus
of the family
Clusiaceae
. Comprising 140-150 species, it is native to tropical and subtropical America
. Its species are shrub
s, vine
s and small to medium-size tree
s up to 20 m tall, with evergreen
foliage. Some species start life as epiphyte
s, then developing long roots that descend to the ground and eventually strangle and kill the host tree, in a manner similar to strangler fig
s.
The leaves
are opposite, 5-20 cm long and 5-10 cm broad, with a leathery texture and an entire margin. The flower
s 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 seed
s.
The genus Clusia was named in honor of botanist Carolus Clusius.
Type genus
In biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Clusiaceae
Clusiaceae
The Clusiaceae or Guttiferae Juss. is a family of plants formerly including about 37 genera and 1610 species of trees and shrubs, often with milky sap and fruits or capsules for seeds. It is primarily tropical...
. Comprising 140-150 species, it is native to tropical and subtropical America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. Its species are shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s, vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
s and small to medium-size 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 up to 20 m tall, with 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...
foliage. Some species start life as epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
s, then developing long roots that descend to the ground and eventually strangle and kill the host tree, in a manner similar to strangler fig
Strangler Fig
Strangler fig is the common name for a number of tropical and subtropical plant species, including some banyans and unrelated vines, including among many other species:* Ficus aurea, also known as the Florida Strangler Fig...
s.
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 opposite, 5-20 cm long and 5-10 cm broad, with a leathery texture and an entire margin. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are white to greenish-white, yellow or pink, with 4-9 petals. 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 a leathery greenish-brown valvate capsule which splits open to release several red, fleshy-coated seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s.
The genus Clusia was named in honor of botanist Carolus Clusius.
Selected species
- Clusia arborea
- Clusia carinataClusia carinataClusia carinata is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Peru.-Sources:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia clarendonensisClusia clarendonensisClusia clarendonensis is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Jamaica.-Sources:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia clusioidesClusia clusioidesClusia clusioides is a small tree which is endemic to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola belonging to the family Guttiferae. One characteristic are the opposite, very thick leaves. It is very common in the dwarf or elfin forests at elevations above , in particular in areas with much light...
- Clusia croatiiClusia croatiiClusia croatii is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found in Colombia and Panama.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Sources:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia cupulataClusia cupulataClusia cupulata is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Panama.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Sources:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia fluminensis Planch. & Triana
- Clusia guttifera
- Clusia lanceolata
- Clusia longipetiolataClusia longipetiolataClusia longipetiolata is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Panama.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Sources:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia majorClusia majorClusia major , the autograph tree, copey, balsam apple, pitch-apple, and Scotch attorney, is a tropical and sub-tropical plant species in the genus Clusia.-Description:...
– Copey, Autograph Tree, Pitch-apple - Clusia minutifloraClusia minutifloraClusia minutiflora is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-Sources:* Nicolalde, F. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia osseocarpaClusia osseocarpaClusia osseocarpa is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found in Colombia and Panama.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Sources:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia palmicida
- Clusia plurivalvisClusia plurivalvisClusia plurivalvis is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-Sources:* Nicolalde, F. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia polystigmaClusia polystigmaClusia polystigma is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-Sources:* Nicolalde, F. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia portlandianaClusia portlandianaClusia portlandiana is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Jamaica.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Sources:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia pseudomangleClusia pseudomangleClusia pseudomangle is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Peru.-Sources:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia rosea – Scotch attorney, Autograph Tree, Pitch-apple
- Clusia skotasterClusia skotasterClusia skotaster is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-Sources:* Nicolalde, F. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia tarmensisClusia tarmensisClusia tarmensis is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.It is found only in Peru.-Sources:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Clusia uvitana
- Clusia valerioi