''Grias'' is a genus of
flowering plants in the family
Lecythidaceae, described by Linnaeus in 1759. It is native to northwestern
South America,
Central America, and
Jamaica.
[Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]
/ref>
They are small to medium-sized trees, growing to 5–15 m tall. 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 evergreen, alternate, simple, broad lanceolate, very large, up to 1 m long, with an entire or waved margin. The flowers are creamy white to yellow, with four petals; they are cauliflorous, produced in clusters on the trunk and stouter branches. The fruit is 6–15 cm long, with a fleshy coat; it is edible in several species.
Grias neuberthii extracts show in vitro activity against human cancer cells.[
]
References
External links
Field Museum: ''Grias'' photos
Field Museum Herbarium: ''Grias'' photos
Ericales genera
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