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Useful Tropical Plants

Cymbopetalum costaricense

(Donn.Sm.) Saff.

Annonaceae

+ Synonyms

Asimina costaricensis Donn.Sm.

Common Name:

Cymbopetalum costaricense
Leaves
Photograph by: Reinaldo Aguilar
Creative Commons License
Cymbopetalum costaricense Cymbopetalum costaricense Cymbopetalum costaricense

General Information

Cymbopetalum costaricense is an evergreen shrub or small tree, usually growing around 2 - 7 metres tall, occasionally reaching 15 metres. The trunk can be 8 - 15cm in diameter, occasionally to 20cm[
2120
Title
Revision of Cymbopetalum and Porcelia (Annonaceae)
Publication
Systematic Botany Monographs, Vol. 40
Author
Murray A.
Publisher
 
Year
1993
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The flower petals are sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a flavouring.
Cymbopetalum costaricense has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

369
Title
Flora of Costa Rica
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C.
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago
Year
1938
ISBN
 
Description
Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet.
,
2120
Title
Revision of Cymbopetalum and Porcelia (Annonaceae)
Publication
Systematic Botany Monographs, Vol. 40
Author
Murray A.
Publisher
 
Year
1993
ISBN
 
Description
 

Range

Central America - Panama, Costa Rica.

Habitat

Premontane to lowland wet forest, often along river terraces at lower elevations, sometimes in disturbed
forest; at elevations from sea level to 1,100 metres[
2120
Title
Revision of Cymbopetalum and Porcelia (Annonaceae)
Publication
Systematic Botany Monographs, Vol. 40
Author
Murray A.
Publisher
 
Year
1993
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height5.00 m
PollinatorsBeetles
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics, found at elevations from near sea level to over 1,000 metres.

Edible Uses

The flower petals are used to give a distinctive flavour to chocolate[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-11-22. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cymbopetalum+costaricense>

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