Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol.

Authority

Berg, Cornelius C. & Franco Rosselli, Pilar. 2005. Cecropia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 94: 1--230. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Urticaceae

Scientific Name

Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol.

Type

Type. Guatemala. Without locality, J. Velasquez s.n. (BOLO-n.v., photographs in BM, K, MICH, MO).

Synonyms

Cecropia commutata Schott ex Miq., Cecropia mexicana Hemsl., Ambaiba mexicana (Hemsl.) Kuntze, Cecropia panamensis Hemsl., Ambaiba costaricensis Kuntze, Ambaiba hemsleyana Kuntze, Cecropia radlkoferiana V.A.Richt., Cecropia levyana V.A.Richt., Cecropia mexicana var. macrostachya Donn.Sm., Cecropia maxonii Pittier, Cecropia amphichlora Standl. & L.O.Williams, Cecropia dabeibana Cuatrec., Cecropia burriada Cuatrec., Cecropia alvarezii Cuatrec.

Description

Species Description - Tree, to 12(-35) m tall. Leafy twigs 1.5-5 cm thick, green or partly purplish, hirtellous to subhispidulous with straight and/or uncinate hairs. Lamina chartaceous to subcoriaceous, ca. (15 × 15 cm to) 30 × 30 cm to 90 × 90 cm, the segments (8-) 10-13 or 7-10, the free parts of the upper segments subobovate to oblanceolate (to elliptic or obovate), the incisions down to ca. 5/10-8/10; apices obtuse to rounded or acuminate; upper surface ± scabrous, hispidulous; lower surface puberulous to hirtellous to subtomentose on the veins, with arachnoid indumentum in the areoles, also on the reticulum or (almost) lacking; lateral veins in the free part of the midsegment (10-) 15-25(-50), marginally to submarginally loop-connected, often branched; petiole (10-)20-80 cm long, puberulous to hirtellous and/or with arachnoid indumentum, or subglabrous; trichilia fused, the brown indumentum intermixed with short white hairs; stipules 5-15 cm long, (maroon-)red or yellowish, (sparsely) puberulous to hirtellous to hirsute to subsericeous or also with arachnoid indumentum outside, sericeous to subvillous or to subglabrous inside. Staminate inflorescences in pairs (or solitary), the peduncle erect to pendulous, the spikes erect to spreading to pendulous; peduncle 4-18 cm long, (minutely) puberulous to subglabrous; spathe 5-20 cm long, red to red-brown to pink or to purple or yellowish with reddish stripes and spots (or whitish), (sparsely) hirtellous to subhirsute, often also with sparse (or dense) arachnoid indumentum, or subglabrous (and then sometimes with a bluish waxy layer) outside, glabrous or sericeous inside; spikes 8-18(-24), 4-25 × 0.2-0.4(-0.8) cm, sessile or with stipes to 2.5(-10) cm long and puberulous; rachis sparsely hairy or glabrous. Staminate flowers: perianth tubular, 1-1.5 mm long, usually with short hairs below the apex, sometimes glabrous, the apex plane, the aperture often surrounded by a rim; filaments flat; anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long, appendiculate, detached at anthesis, reattached to the margins of the aperture by the appendages. Pistillate inflorescences in pairs (or solitary), erect or at least the spikes pendulous; peduncle 3-24 cm long, (minutely) puberulous to subglabrous; spathe 12-22 cm long, the color and indumentum as in the staminate inflorescence; spikes 2-4(-6), (4-)8-25 × 0.40.7 cm, to 35(-55) × 1.5 cm in fruit, sessile or with stipes to 1.5(-4) cm long and puberulous; rachis hairy. Pistillate flowers: perianth 1.5-2 mm long, with arachnoid indumentum below the apex, also in the lower part of the style channel inside, the apex convex, muriculate to minutely puberulous or smooth; style rather short; stigma penicillate. Fruit ellipsoid, 2-2.5 mm long, smooth, dark brown.

Discussion

Cecropia obtusifolia is very variable in many characters. The trees tend to have tall trunks with relatively small, ± globose crowns. There is a tendency to monocauly as branches may not be formed. According to Alvarez-Buylla & Martínez-Ramos (1992), trees may grow to 20-35 m tall and become elements of the forest canopy in Veracruz (Mexico). Indications that this could happen in other parts of the species range are lacking, and on the basis of observations, it is very unlikely that it would happen in the southern part of the range. The lamina varies considerably in shape due to differences in the extension of the incisions. One can recognize two types of leaves with regard to the number of leaf segments: the most common type usually with (8-) 10-13 lamina segments and in the free part of the midsegment >20 pairs of lateral veins. The other is a less common one, most typically found in the Pacific coastal region of Colombia and Ecuador (as in Cuatrecasas 13689, Franco et al. 3011 and 5178, Pennington et al. 14530, and Rooden et al 516), with 7-10 segments and in the free part of the midsegment ca. 15 pairs of lateral veins. The latter type might have links with C. subintegra. Arachnoid indumentum is always present on the lower surface the lamina of material from Mexico. Specimens without or with very scarce arachnoid indumentum have been collected in Guatemala. The frequency of material without or with very scarce arachnoid indumentum on the leaves increases through Central America to the Pacific coastal region of Colombia. Specimens with arachnoid indumentum on the leaves appear to be absent in Ecuador. The differences in the presence of arachnoid indumentum has led to the distinction of two subspecies, subsp. obtusifolia, comprising the material with arachnoid indumentum, and subsp. burriada, comprising that without arachnoid indumentum. We decided not to maintain this distinction, as the geographical separation of the two proved not to be clear enough. The two can be indicated as the "obtusifolia-type" and the "burriada-type" respectively. The number of lateral veins varies considerably. Leaves with >25 pairs of lateral veins in the free part of the midsegment show a rather regular venation pattern, and the lateral veins are usually unbranched. Material with numerous lateral veins in the midsegment appears to be most common in northern Chocó and Panama and is found most frequently in the "burriada-type." Throughout the range of distribution, one can find a type with short spikes, often sessile or with short stipes and another type with long spikes, and often also long stipes. This difference in the length of the spikes and stipes occurs most pronouncedly in the “burriada-type.” Material with erect inflorescences with short (and relatively thick) spikes can be indicated as the "alvarezii-type." These conspicuously different inflorescences can be found in the same population. Cecropia obtusifolia is very closely related to C. subintegra and (less closely) also to C. heterochroma and to C. mutisiana. It shows similarities to the Amazonian species C. putumayonis and C. utcubambana in the shape of the trees and the frequent lack of arachnoid indumentum on the lower surface of the lamina, but features of the staminate flowers indicate that they are not closely related. The trees are usually inhabited with large ant colonies. The fruiting spikes are reported to be favorite food of toucans. The species has been introduced in Hawaii, where it has become naturalized (Wetterer, 1997).

Common Names

trompeta, chancarro, guarumbo, huagadeug, changarro, huagadeug, chancarro, hormigo, hormiguillo, guarumo, trumpet, burriada, burriala, arumo cocedera, tsenguillachi

Distribution

From Mexico to the Pacific coastal region, southward to Ecuador, in forest and secondary growth, at elevations to 1300(-1650) m.

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