|
Flora Of Belize
The flora of Belize is highly diverse by regional standards, given the country's small geographical extent. Situated on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America the flora and vegetation have been intimately intertwined with Belize's history. The nation itself grew out of British timber extraction activities from the 17th century onwards, at first for logwood (''Haematoxylum campechianum'') and later for mahogany (''Swietenia macrophylla''), fondly called "red gold" because of its high cost and was much sought after by European aristocracy. Central America generally is thought to have gained much of it characteristic flora during the "Great American interchange" during which time South American elements migrated north after the geological closure of the isthmus of Panama. Few Amazonian elements penetrate as far north as Belize and in species composition the forests of Belize are most similar to the forests of the Petén (Guatemala) and the Yucatán (Mexico). Vegetation type ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central America
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually defined as consisting of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Within Central America is the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, which extends from southern Mexico to southeastern Panama. Due to the presence of several active geologic faults and the Central America Volcanic Arc, there is a high amount of seismic activity in the region, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which has resulted in death, injury, and property damage. Most of Central America falls under the Isthmo-Colombian cultural area. Before the Spanish expedition of Christopher Columbus' voyages to the Americas, hundreds of indigenous peoples made their homes in the area. From the year 1502 onwards, Spain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acoelorraphe Wrightii
''Acoelorraphe'' is a genus of palms with a single species ''Acoelorraphe wrightii'', known as the Paurotis palm, Everglades palm or Madeira palm in EnglishWorld Checklist of Palms''Acoelorrhaphe''Germplasm Resources Information Network''Acoelorrhaphe wrightii''/ref>International Plant Names Index (IPNI)''Acoelorrhaphe''/ref> and cubas, tique, and papta in Spanish. The genus name is sometimes spelt as ''Acoelorrhaphe'' or ''Acoelorhaphe'', which are treated as orthographical variants by the International Plant Names Index. Description It is a small to moderately tall palm that grows in clusters to , rarely tall, with slender stems less than diameter. The leaves are palmate (fan-shaped), with segments joined to each other for about half of their length, and are wide, light-green above, and silver underneath. The leaf petiole is long, and has orange, curved, sharp teeth along the edges. The flowers are minute, inconspicuous and greenish, with 6 stamens. The trunk is covered w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avicennia Germinans
''Avicennia germinans'', the black mangrove, is a shrub or small tree growing up to 12 meters (39 feet) in the acanthus family, Acanthaceae. It grows in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, on both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, and on the Atlantic Coast of tropical Africa, where it thrives on the sandy and muddy shores where seawater reaches. It is common throughout coastal areas of Texas and Florida, and ranges as far north as southern Louisiana and northern Florida in the United States. Like many other mangrove species, it reproduces by vivipary. Seeds are encased in a fruit, which reveals the germinated seedling when it falls into the water. Unlike other mangrove species, it does not grow on prop roots, but possesses pneumatophores that allow its roots to breathe even when submerged. It is a hardy species and expels absorbed salt mainly from its leathery leaves. The name "black mangrove" refers to the color of the trunk and heartwood. The leaves oft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhizophora Mangle
''Rhizophora mangle'', also known as the red mangrove, is a salt-tolerant, small-to-medium sized evergreen tree restricted to coastal, estuarine ecosystems along the southern portions of North America, the Caribbean as well as Central America and tropical West Africa. Its viviparous "seeds", in actuality called propagules, become fully mature plants before dropping off the parent tree. These are dispersed by water until eventually embedding in the shallows. ''Rhizophora mangle'' grows on aerial prop roots, which arch above the water level, giving stands of this tree the characteristic "mangrove" appearance. It is a valuable plant in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas coastal ecosystems. The name refers to the red colour on the inner part of its roots when halved, so it does not display any red colour in its regular appearance. In its native habitat it is threatened by invasive species such as the Brazilian pepper tree ''(Schinus terebinthifolius)''. The red mangrove itself is co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astrocaryum Mexicanum
''Astrocaryum mexicanum'', the chocho palm, cohune palm, or chapay, is a species of cocosoid palm in the family Arecaceae The Arecaceae () is a family (biology), family of perennial plant, perennial, flowering plants in the Monocotyledon, monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbing palm, climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly k ..., native to Mexico and Central America. It is very long-lived for a palm, reaching 140 years. Local people harvest its young inflorescences, its seeds, and its hearts for food. Covered with stout spines, it is hardy to USDA zone 10a, and is occasionally planted as an ornamental in places such as Hawaii and Southern California. References mexicanum Flora of Southwestern Mexico Flora of Veracruz Flora of Southeastern Mexico Flora of Guatemala Flora of Belize Flora of El Salvador Flora of Honduras Flora of Nicaragua Flora of Costa Rica Plants described in 1853 {{Cocoseae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Virola Brachycarpa
''Virola'' is a genus of flowering plants in the nutmeg family, Myristicaceae. It includes medium-sized trees native to rainforests of the tropical Americas, ranging from southern Mexico to Bolivia and southern Brazil. Species are known commonly as ''epená'', ''patricá'', or ''cumala''. They have glossy, dark green leaves and clusters of tiny yellow flowers, and may emit a pungent odor. Traditional use Several species of this genus have been used to create hallucinogenic snuff powders. Chemical constituents The tops of '' Virola oleifera'' have been shown to produce lignan-7-ols and verrucosin that have antifungal action regarding ''Cladosporium sphaerospermum'' in doses as low as 25 micrograms. Lignan-7-ols oleiferin-B and oleiferin-G worked for ''Cladosporium cladosporioides'' starting as low as 10 micrograms. Species 71 species are accepted. *''Virola aequatorialis'' *''Virola aguarunana'' *''Virola albidiflora'' *''Virola allenii'' *''Virola alvaroperezii'' *''Viro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swietenia
''Swietenia'' is a genus of trees in the Melia azedarach, chinaberry family, Meliaceae. It occurs natively in the Neotropics, from southern Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America south to Bolivia. The genus is named for Dutch-Austrian physician Gerard van Swieten (1700–1772). The wood of ''Swietenia'' trees is known as mahogany. Overview The genus was introduced into several Asian countries as a replacement source of mahogany timber around the time it was restricted in its native locations in the late 1990s. Trade in Asian grown plantation mahogany is not restricted. Fiji and India are the largest exporters of plantation mahogany and wild mahogany remains commercially unavailable to this day. It is usually taken to consist of three species, geographically separated. They are medium-sized to large trees growing to 20–45 m tall, and up to trunk diameter. The Leaf, leaves are 10–30 cm long, pinnate, with 3-6 pairs of leaflets, the terminal leaflet absen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Podocarpus Guatemalensis
''Podocarpus guatemalensis'' is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. Its common names include ''ocotillo de llano'', ''cypress de montaña'', ''cipresillo'', ''alfajillo'', ''pinillo'', ''palo de oro'', and ''piño de montaña''. Distribution ''Podocarpus guatemalensis'' is a shrub and/or small tree native to Guatemala and found throughout southern Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in Central America, as well as in Venezuela and Colombia in northern South America. ''Podocarpus guatemalensis'' is classified as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List. While some populations are threatened by habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ..., others occur in protected areas. References guatemalens ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pinus Rudis
''Pinus hartwegii'' ( syn. ''P. rudis'', ''P. donnell-smithii''), Hartweg's pine, the Mexican mountain pine, or pino de las alturas, is a pine native to the mountains of Mexico and Central America east to Honduras. It is named after Karl Theodor Hartweg, who described it in 1838. Distribution ''Pinus hartwegii'' is a very high elevation species, growing at elevations of . It forms the alpine tree line on most of Mexico's higher mountains. It grows on both the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental (mountain ranges) (29° North latitude) from Chihuahua State and Nuevo León (26°) to the highest peaks in the mountain ranges on the El Salvador—Honduras border (15° North latitude). In the Sierra Madre Occidental this pine grows with very dry winters and a very heavy rainy season in summer, with constant frosts from October to March. This pine does not acquire the dwarfed and contorted shape shared by many species at high elevation. Even at the alpine tree line, this ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pinus Oocarpa
''Pinus oocarpa'' is a species of pine tree native to Mexico and Central America. It is the national tree of Honduras, where it is known as ocote. Common names include ocote chino, pino amarillo, pino avellano, Mexican yellow pine, egg-cone pine and hazelnut pine. It appears that it was the progenitor (original) species that served as the ancestor for some of the other pines of Mexico. Habitat and range This species ranges from latitudes of 14° to 29° north, including western Mexico, Guatemala and the higher elevations of Honduras, El Salvador and northwestern Nicaragua. An average temperature of and annual rainfall of are needed for best development. Preferred elevations are above sea level. In El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua it grows above . ''Pinus oocarpa'' var. ''trifoliata'' grows between above sea level. Uses It is an important source of commercial lumber in Honduras and Central America. ''Pinus oocarpa'' was introduced for commercial production of wood for the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pinus Ayacahuite
''Pinus ayacahuite'', also called ayacahuite pine and Mexican white pine, (family Pinaceae) is a species of pine native to the mountains of southern Mexico and western Central America, in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains and the eastern end of the Eje Volcánico Transversal, between 14° and 21°N latitude in the Mexican states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz and Chiapas, and in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. It grows on relatively moist areas with summer rainfalls, however specimens from its eastern and southern distribution live under really wet conditions; it needs full sun and well drained soils. Its temperature needs fluctuate between 19 and 10 °C on average a year. This tree accepts from subtropical to cool climate. ''Pinus ayacahuite'' is a large tree, regularly growing to 30–45 m and exceptionally up to 50 m tall. It is a member of the white pine group, '' Pinus'' subgenus '' Strobus'', and like all members of that group, the leaves ('needles') ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Curatella
''Curatella americana'', commonly known as the wild cashew tree, sambaı́ba, and the sandpaper tree, is a species of tree in the family Dilleniaceae. It is the sole accepted species in genus ''Curatella''. Description ''Curatella americana'' is a semi-deciduous tree with a dense, rounded crown. It typically grows tall. The trunk is short, thick, and usually crooked, up to in diameter."''Curatella americana''". ''Useful Tropical Plants''. Accessed 1 March 2021/ref> Range ''Curatella americana'' ranges through the tropical Americas, including northern South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guyanas), Central America from Panama to Mexico, and the western Caribbean. Habitat ''Curatella americana'' is generally found in savanna and dry forest habitats. In Guatemala, it is found on dry open or brushy hillsides below elevation, or growing among pines. Human uses Parts of the plant, including its edible fruits and seeds, are a local source of food, tra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
