Dendropanax colombianus is a 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...

 native of the highlands of the Andean region of 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...

, which belongs to 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...

 Araliaceae

Araliaceae

Araliaceae is a family of flowering plants, also known as the Aralia family or Ivy family. The family includes 254 species of trees, shrubs, lianas and perennial herbaceous plants into 2 subfamilies...

. Common names include Mano de Oso (bear paw), Higuerón, and amarillo (yellow).

Dendropanax colombianus is a large tree to 20 meters (~60 ft.), with alternated palmatilobulated (hand-shaped) leaves. The leaves have reddish backside, with large petiols. It is often confused with Oreopanax floribundum due to morphologic similarities.

Habitat

The range of this plant is restricted, growing in the Andes

Andes

The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...

 at altitudes of 3000-3300m. It is often closely associated to the Encenillo tree (Weinmannia tormentosa

Weinmannia tormentosa

Encenillo is a tree native of the highlands of the Andean region of Colombia, which belongs to the family Cunoniaceae.-Description:...

).

Dendropanax colombianus, Mano de Oso, is an important habitat to many bird

Bird

Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...

 species, and promotes the settlement of other important plants such as Cedro tree (Cedrela montana

Cedrela montana

Cedrela montana, the Cedro tree, is a species of plant in the Meliaceae family. It is found in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador.It can grow up to 20 m tall. It has small flowers that grow in bunches....

) and Chuwacá tree (Prunus

Prunus

Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...

 buxifolia), which the subsequent reforestation in the sub-páramo

Páramo

The term páramo can refer to a variety of ecosystems. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as “all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline”. A more narrow term classifies the páramo according to its regional placement - specifically located in “the northern Andes...

. Due to the high value of its wood it is a target of the timber

Timber

Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...

industry.