Trees of Cloudbridge
Billia
colombiana (Cucaracho)
Description:
[major
features]
Natural history: [natural history and
ecology features including relations with mammals, birds, insects,
epiphytes and vines, other trees, growing conditions, seasonal changes,
etc]
Distribution: [where found in
general, in the Chirripo area, and on Cloudbridge}
How
to recognize: [main features of shape, location, bark, leaves,
flowers and fruit that help with eyeball recognition, and specific
features that help to distinguish this tree from others]
Uses: [Whether and how the wood is used, medicinal uses, role in
farms and plantations, endangered status]
Sources and Links:
INBio description
SysTax
and others
Scientific Information:
| Division: |
Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
|
| Class: |
Magnoliopsida (dicots)
|
| Family: |
Hippocastanaceae
|
| Species: |
Billia colombiana Planch. & Linden |
Photo
Identification Guide: Billia
colombiana
(Cucaracho)
| Leaves. Leaves are opposite with 3 leaflets, without teeth, large bilaterally symmetric. |
|
Flowers. Feb – Jun, 4-5 white petals flushed with yellow at the base.
|
|
Fruit and Seeds. Sep - Nov, 4-7 cm brown capsule with husk splitting into 3 valves, contains one round red-brown seed.
|
|
| Trunk. Bark: chipped and scalloped. |
|
| Form. The shape of
the tree ... |
|
| Saplings. Seedlings
and saplings ... |
|
Notes/Notas: Billia colombiana
| Description:
|
Tree to 35m, 55cm dbh; trunk slightly fluted; C. yellow
w pink streaks; A 6; fruit with 3 locules. |
|
Habitat:
|
Montane cloud forest |
|
Cloudbridge: Bridging
a Costa Rican cloud forest