''Erythrochiton gymnanthus'' is an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

tree or shrub from the family

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Derm ...

. It is endemic to

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

. The genus

Erythrochiton ''Erythrochiton'' is a genus of plant in family Rutaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): * ''Erythrochiton brasiliensis'' Nees & Mart. * '' Erythrochiton delitescens'' Morton * '' Erythrochiton fallax'' Kall ...

consists of only twelve species and it native to the

Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

region.

Description

''Erythrochiton gymnanthus'' reaches a height between 1.5 and 6 metres. The young branches are glabrous. Each branch bearing a leaf tuft. The alternate unifoliate leaves are 14.5 to 36.4 centimetre in length and 3.5 to 11 centimetres in width. The leaves are obovate or oblanceolate, sometimes narrow oblanceolate. They are cuneate and decurrent at base. The adaxial surface smooth of the petiole is 0.5 to 3 cm. The flowers are white. The corolla is 4.5 to 6 centimetre in diameter. The fruit is a capsule which is formed by 4 to 5 glabrous carpels measuring 1.6 to 1.9 cm. The flowering time is from April to July.Margaret B. Gargiullo, Barbara L. Magnuson, Larry D. Kimball: ''A field guide to plants of Costa Rica''. Oxford University Press US, 2008.

Distribution and habitat

''Erythrochtion gymnanthus'' is endemic to the

Central Pacific Conservation Area Central Pacific Conservation Area is an administrative area which is managed by SINAC for the purposes of conservation in the southwestern part of Costa Rica, on the Pacific coast.Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

, in particular the regions of Barranca and Miramar and in the

Carara National Park Carara National Park is a national park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It was established on 27 April 1978 as a biological reserve, but its growing popularity after 1990 forced the government ...

. It grows mostly in elevations from 20 to 100 metres in humid forests.

Status

''Erythrochtion gymnanthus'' is threatened due to leaf diseases and the fragmentation of its habitat.

References

External links

Buscan generar conocimiento ecológico de especie amenazada
*

gymnanthus Endemic flora of Costa Rica Trees of Costa Rica Plants described in 1992 {{Rutaceae-stub