Alfaroa costaricensis

Alfaroa costaricensis is a Central American tree species from the family of the walnut family ( Juglandaceae ).

Features

Alfaroa costaricensis grows as a tree or large shrub. It is high at a diameter at breast height of 90 cm to 23 m. Buttress roots are small or absent. The bark is thick to 1 cm, inside pink with white stripes or rarely bright orange. Buds and shoots are covered with long (1.5 mm), rough hair that are less over time.

The leaves are usually opposite, rarely alternate or whorled. The petiole is 0.4 to 2 cm long and hairy, the rachis 10 to 15, rarely up to 30 cm long and also hairy. The 12 to 24 leaflets are opposite or nearly opposite, the lower ones are conspicuously reduced. The leaf margin usually entire, sometimes cut. At root sprouts and seedlings of the leaf margin is coarsely toothed. The upper leaf surface is waxy green and bald, with the exception of the ribs, the underside is dull green. Young shoots are formed in January at the beginning of the dry season and are initially red.

The female inflorescences are terminal at this year's shoots, are stiff and upright. At its base male catkins or individual flowers can stand. You have an ear of corn that remain dried up several weeks after flowering to 65 flowers. The male catkins are alternate or opposite, to 16 cm long. Up to 10 kittens stand together, to 40 or 50 can form a contracted, terminal panicle. Rarely occur androgynous racemes, the pendant of a central spike and female, there are 1-4 short male kitten.

The male flowers are significantly 1 to 2 (rarely 8 ) mm long stalks. They are available in three-lobed bracts. You have 4-7 flowers segments ( sepals and Brakteolen ) that are bent back to maturity and not wrap the stamens. There are 6 to 11 stamens. The pollen grains are approximately triangular in polar view, its diameter is about 25 microns. The female flowers are sessile. Your support is three-lobed leaf with a strong central lobe. The four calyx lobes are bent back and give the scar -free. The stylus is extended biramose. The stigma lobes are round to horseshoe- shaped and ripe bright red. Main flowering period is in February

The fruit is squeezed ellipsoidal to ovate, rarely. It is up to 3 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. The calyx forms a 2-5 mm long beak and remains on the fruit. The shell of the nut is largely missing and is less than 0.5 mm thick. The nut shell is very thin, less than 1 mm and cartilaginous.

The first two appearing in the open leaves of the seedling are opposite, composed and coarsely toothed. The first episode leaves are alternate, pinnate and sawed. Later, the leaves are constantly compared and predominantly entire.

Dissemination

The area of Alfaroa costaricensis ranges from Mexico to Panama. In the past, it was a fairly common species in the forests.

The species grows on slopes with at least 5 % slope at altitudes 600-2200 m. The areas have annual rainfall 1500-2500 mm and minimum temperatures of 15 to 20 ° C.

Use

The wood has a pink fibrillation, but it is difficult to work with. It is used for furniture, poles, charcoal and as a timber.

Documents

• E. Arnaez, I. Moreira: Alfaroa costaricensis. In: Tropical Tree Seed Manual Part II Species Descriptions, USDA Forest Service, 2003, pp. 287-288. ( pdf)