![Clusia grandiflora MHNT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Clusia_grandiflora_MHNT.BOT.2009.16.3.jpg)
''Clusia'' is the
type genus of the plant family
Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by
Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist
Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''Clusia'' are the neotropical genera ''
Chrysochlamys'', ''
Tovomita'', ''
Dystovomita'' and ''
Tovomitopsis''. Together with ''Clusia'', these genera form the tribe
Clusieae, where the fruit is a fleshy
capsule with
arillate
An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...
seeds.
The distribution ranges from the
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
and southern Mexico to southernmost Brazil, and from near sea level to at least 3500 m altitude in the northern Andes. Species of ''Clusia'' are a characteristic component of a number of Neotropical vegetation types, and may even be dominant, as is often seen in montane forests of the Greater Antilles. Most species are found in lowland or montane rainforests, but some occur in drier habitats such as the
restingas of Brazil,
caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
coastal scrub and dry interandean valleys. A number of species are confined to rocky habitats, such as
tepuis
A tepui , or tepuy (), is a table-top mountain or mesa found in South America, especially in Venezuela and western Guyana. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran S ...
or granitic
inselbergs. A few grow as scattered shrubs in
paramo. The
apomictic
In botany, apomixis is asexual reproduction without fertilization. Its etymology is Greek for "away from" + "mixing". This definition notably does not mention meiosis. Thus "normal asexual reproduction" of plants, such as propagation from cuttin ...
''Clusia rosea'' is an invasive alien in Hawaii and Sri Lanka, and possibly elsewhere.
Description
Its species are
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s,
vines and small to medium-size
trees up to 20 m tall, with
evergreen foliage. Some species start life as
epiphyte
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
s which grow long roots that descend to the ground and eventually strangle and kill the host tree in a manner similar to
strangler fig
Strangler fig is the common name for a number of tropical and subtropical plant species in the genus ''Ficus'', including those that are commonly known as banyans. Some of the more well-known species are:
* ''Ficus altissima''
* ''Ficus aurea'', ...
s.
Many ''Clusia'' species have
Crassulacean acid metabolism, which can be considered an adaptation to the often dry (micro)habitats of the genus.
The plants contain variously coloured
latex in stems, leaves and fruit. The
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are simple, entire and opposite, 5–70 cm long and 2–20 cm broad. Leaf texture is usually leathery, less commonly rigid or slightly succulent. Flower size varies from ca 5 mm wide (e.g. ''Clusia gundlachii'') to ca 150 mm in ''Clusia grandiflora''. The 4-9
petals are white, cream, yellow, pink, red, blackish or green. Flowers are unisexual and plants are
dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
(pistillate and staminate flowers are borne on separate plants).
Stamen
The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
number ranges from four to several hundred. Shape and size of stamens are extremely variable. Sterile stamens are often present, both in pistillate and staminate flowers.
Stigmas are four to 16 in number and usually
sessile. The
fruit is a leathery valvate capsule which splits open to release several red or orange, fleshy-coated
seeds.
Pollination involves a range of different animals, and several types of rewards. Floral
resin occurs in many, probably most species of ''Clusia''. The resin is produced by the stamens (by sterile stamens, referred to as
staminode
In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. ...
s, in pistillate flowers) and is collected by bees that use it in nest construction. Nectar is most common in montane species, e.g. ''
Clusia clusioides
''Clusia clusioides'' is a small tree which is native to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, in the family Clusiaceae. One characteristic are the opposite, very thick leaves. It is very common in the dwarf or elfin forests at elevations above , in parti ...
'', and these flowers are visited by insects such as moths and wasps, and sometimes by bats or hummingbirds. In flowers lacking nectar or resin, pollination may be carried out by pollen-eating beetles, which visit also the rewardless pistillate flowers, as observed in ''
Clusia criuva''. ''
Clusia blattophila
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
'' is pollinated by male cockroaches attracted by a pheromone-containing fluid produced by the flowers.
Seeds are dispersed by birds and perhaps, in some cases, by small mammals.
''Clusia'' plants provide excellent nesting sites for some insects. For instance, ''Clusia grandiflora'', a common species in Guianese forests, is an attractive place for ''
Polistes pacificus'' wasps to build their paper nests because arboreal ants, which often prey on these wasps, do not normally reside in this species of tree.
Uses
The wood of ''Clusia'' is highly durable, and is sometimes used for roof construction. The latex and the floral resin have antiseptic properties and have been used to seal wounds. Dry latex is sometimes burned like
incense in churches. A few species are grown as house plants, or, in tropical areas, as ornamental trees and shrubs. Examples are ''Clusia rosea'', ''C. major'' and ''C. orthoneura''.
Selected species
* ''
Clusia alata''
* ''
Clusia amazonica''
* ''
Clusia blattophila
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia bracteosa''
* ''
Clusia carinata''
* ''
Clusia caudata
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia celiae''
* ''
Clusia clarendonensis''
* ''
Clusia clusioides
''Clusia clusioides'' is a small tree which is native to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, in the family Clusiaceae. One characteristic are the opposite, very thick leaves. It is very common in the dwarf or elfin forests at elevations above , in parti ...
''
* ''
Clusia cochlitheca''
* ''
Clusia croatii
''Clusia croatii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Clusiaceae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama, with one population in N Colombia. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habita ...
''
* ''
Clusia colombiana''
* ''
Clusia columnaris''
* ''
Clusia congestiflora''
* ''
Clusia crenata''
* ''
Clusia cuneifolia''
* ''
Clusia cupulata''
* ''
Clusia decussata''
* ''
Clusia dixonii''
* ''
Clusia ducu''
* ''
Clusia ducuoides''
* ''
Clusia duidae''
* ''
Clusia elliptica''
* ''
Clusia flava
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia flavida''
* ''
Clusia fluminensis
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''Clus ...
''
Planch. & Triana
* ''
Clusia fockeana''
* ''
Clusia frigida''
* ''
Clusia fructiangusta''
* ''
Clusia garciabarrigae''
* ''
Clusia gardneri''
* ''
Clusia grandiflora''
* ''
Clusia gundlachii''
* ''
Clusia hammeliana''
* ''
Clusia haugtii''
* ''
Clusia hilariana''
* ''
Clusia hydrogera''
* ''
Clusia hyleae''
* ''
Clusia insignis
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia lanceolata''
* ''
Clusia latipes''
* ''
Clusia laurifolia''
* ''
Clusia laxiflora''
* ''
Clusia leprantha''
* ''
Clusia lineata
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia longipetiolata
''Clusia longipetiolata'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Clusiaceae. It is found only in Panama. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a ...
''
* ''
Clusia longistyla''
* ''
Clusia loretensis
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia magnoliiflora''
* ''
Clusia major
''Clusia major'' is a tropical plant species in the genus ''Clusia''. The name ''Clusia major'' is sometimes misapplied to the more widely distributed species ''Clusia rosea'', which, however has petiolate (versus virtually sessile), very dark ( ...
''
* ''
Clusia melchiorii''
* ''
Clusia mexiensis''
* ''
Clusia minor
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia minutiflora''
* ''
Clusia nemorosa''
* ''
Clusia nubium''
* ''
Clusia octandra''
* ''
Clusia orthoneura
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''Clus ...
''
* ''
Clusia osseocarpa
''Clusia osseocarpa'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Clusiaceae. It is found in montane forests of Colombia, Ecuador and Panama. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat redu ...
''
* ''
Clusia pallida''
* ''
Clusia palmicida
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia panapanari''
* ''
Clusia paralicola''
G.Mariz 1972
* ''
Clusia penduliflora
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia pernambucensis''
* ''
Clusia platystigma''
* ''
Clusia plurivalvis
''Clusia plurivalvis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Clusiaceae. It is found only in Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The a ...
''
* ''
Clusia polystigma''
* ''
Clusia portlandiana''
* ''
Clusia pseudomangle''
* ''
Clusia pulcherrima''
* ''
Clusia renggerioides''
* ''
Clusia rigida''
* ''
Clusia rosea'' – Scotch attorney, autograph tree, pitch-apple
* ''
Clusia schomburgkiana
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia sellowiana''
* ''
Clusia skotaster''
* ''
Clusia sphaerocarpa''
* ''
Clusia spiritu-sanctensis
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia stenophylla''
* ''
Clusia tarmensis''
* ''
Clusia thurifera''
* ''
Clusia triflora''
* ''
Clusia trochiformis''
* ''
Clusia uvitana
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia valerioi
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia venusta
''Clusia'' is the type genus of the plant family Clusiaceae. Comprising 300-400 species, it is native to the tropics of the Americas. The genus is named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of the botanist Carolus Clusius.
The closest relatives of ''C ...
''
* ''
Clusia viscida''
* ''
Clusia weberbaueri''
* ''
Clusia weddelliana''
Gallery
Image:Autograph tree (Clusia rosea)- leaf with autograph, flower, fresh fruit, and dried fruit.jpg, Autograph tree ('' C. rosea''): leaf with autograph, flower, fresh fruit, and dried fruit.
File:Clusia lanceolata.jpg, ''Clusia lanceolata'', Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an botanic garden with extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, flowering trees, and vines. It is located in the city of Coral Gables, Miami-Dade County, just south of Miami, s ...
References
Correia MCR, Ormond WT, Pinheiro MCB, Lima HA (1993) Estudos da biologia floral de Clusia criuva Camb. um caso de mimetismo. Bradea 24:209–219
Gustafsson, M. H. G. and V. Bittrich (2003) Evolution of morphological diversity and resin secretion in flowers of Clusia L. (Clusiaceae): insights from ITS sequence variation. Nordic Journal of Botany 22: 183-203.
Gustafsson, M. H. G. (2012) A new xeromorphic species of Clusia (Clusiaceae) from dry valleys of northern Peru. Novon 20: 414-417
Gustafsson, M. H. G., V. Bittrich and K. Winter (2007) Diversity, phylogeny and classification of Clusia. In U. Lüttge (ed.) Ecological studies vol. 194. Clusia: a woody Neotropical genus of remarkable plasticity and diversity, pp. 95–116. Springer, Heidelberg.
Bittrich, V and M. C. E. Amaral (1996)Flower Morphology and Pollination Biology of Some Clusia Species from the Gran Sabana (Venezuela)
Kew Bulletin 51: 681-694.
External links
''Clusia rosea'' photos
{{Taxonbar, from=Q765930
Malpighiales genera
Epiphytes
Dioecious plants