SUMMMARY OF MAJOR TROPICAL PLANT FAMILIES, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO COSTA RICAN PLANTS 01/2004
Note presence and type of: Latex; Spines; Odors; Stipules; Leaves in 2 ranks; Marginal Teeth
Life form
Family
Common
name
Tree,liana
Bignoniaceae
jicaro, corteza
Tree
Cunoniaceae
Tree
Hippocastanac
horsechestnut
Tree
Anacardiac
mango, cashew
Tree,epi,liana
Araliaceae
ivy, ginseng
Tree
Arecaceae
palms
Tree
Bombacaceae
balsa, silk cotton
Tree
Burseraceae
indio desnudo
Tree,liana
Caesalpiniace
Herb,epi,liana
Latex
S
p
Odors
S
t
2-r
T
Genera
Comments
Tabebuia, Crescentia,
Adenocalymna, Amphitecna,
Tecoma
major liana family, some trees; some have simple
leaves
Weinmannia
winged rachis, serrate marg, cloud forest tree
Billia (only tropical genus)
trifoliate lvs., lg nut with starchy endosperm
turp
Anacardium, Spondias, Tapirira,
Mangifera
some species have simple leaves, sap often
irritating (mango, cashew, poison ivy)
carrot
Oreopanax, Dendropanax,
Didymopanax, Schefflera
one genus (Dendropanax) w/simple lvs; lg
triangular lf scars; unequal petiole lengths; double
pulvinus; inflorescence an umbel
x
Bactris, Cocos, Attelea, Geonoma,
Acrocomia
monocots; unbranched, colonial or arborescent,
meristem often edible (palmito)
x
Ceiba, Pseudobombax, Pochota,
Ochroma
order Malvales, bat pollinated, wind dispersed;
pochote common living fencepost
Bursera
peeling, photosynthesizing bark; living fencepost
legumes
Cassia, Bauhinia, Hymenaea
monkey ladder vine, cloven hoof shaped lvs
Cyclanthaceae
cyclanth
Cyclanthus, Asplundias
monocots, use leaf venation to distinguish from
palms
Tree
Fabaceae
legumes (Papil.)
Gliricidia, Lonchocarpus, Andira
simply pinnate
Tree
Mimosaceae
legumes,
mimosa
Inga, Pithecellobium, Enterolobium
nectaries, many bi or tripinnate
Tree
Meliaceae
mahogany
Cedrela, Guarea, Trichilia
not consistently even/odd pinnate; Guarea has
unfolding leaflet at tip of leaf
Comp Opp
x
x
Comp Alt
white dries
blk
white dries
white
turp
beans
garlic;
sweet
Life form
Family
Common
name
Tree,epi,liana
Rutaceae
citrus
Tree,liana
Sapindaceae
soapberry
Tree
Simaroubac
Latex
S
p
Odors
x
citrus
S
t
2-r
T
incense
Genera
Comments
Zanthoxylum, Citrus, Casimiroa
Zanthoxylum-volcanic spines on trunk, translucent
oil glands in lvs, greasy to touch
Cupania, Paullinia, Serjania
Cupania has alternate leaflets; lianas--Paullinia,
Serjania--have opposite leaflets
Simarouba, Picramnia
bitter taste
Justicia, Aphelandra
no stipules, swollen nodes, bilabiate flowers
Plumeria, Tabernaemontana
paired fruit look like Dutch shoes
Montanoa, Vernonia
rough lvs, opp or alt, smelly, daisy type flowers
Hedyosmum
opposite, dentate lvs, enlarged sheath between
petioles; very primitive family, fossils from midCretaceous
Clusia, Symphonia, Garcinia, Vismia
terminal bud arises from b/w bases of terminal pr of
petioles, Clusia--thick,paddle-shaped lvs, used for
sending written messages
Columnea, Drymonia
lvs sometimes opp and unequal; flowers tubular,
sometimes hairy
Malpighia, Bunchosia
T-shaped hairs
Miconia, Conostegia, Melastoma
3-7 veined, tertiary veins nicely parallel
Siparuna
no stipules, dehiscent fruits
Eugenia, Psidium, Eucalyptus
pellucid dots (lens), medicinal smells, often with
flaky bark
Phytolacca
succulent plant, small purple fruits
Coffea, Psychotria, Hamelia,
Posoqueria, Randia, Calycophyllum
leaves entire, opposite and decussate; shape of
stipules identifies genus
Citharexylum, Lantana,
Stachytarpheta, Gmelina
square stems, paired glands at leaf base
Simp Opp
Herb
Acanthaceae
Tree,epi,liana
Apocynaceae
dogbane
Herb,tree
Asteraceae
sunflower, daisy
Shrub,tree
Chloranthac
Epi,liana
Clusiaceae
clusia
Epi,liana
Gesneriaceae
African violets
Tree
Malpighiaceae
Tree
Melastomatac
Tree
Monimiaceae
Tree
Myrtaceae
eucalyptus,
guava
Shrub
Phytolaccac
pokeberry
Shrub,tree,
Liana
Rubiaceae
coffee
Herb,tree
Verbenaceae
verbena
white
primitive
x
x
yellow,
orange
x
lengua de vaca
lemon
spicy
apple
x
x
Life form
Family
Common
name
Tree
Actinidaceae
kiwifruit
Tree
Annonaceae
guanabana
Epi,liana
Araceae
houseplants
Tree
Betulaceae
alder
Tree
Boraginaceae
Epi,shrub
Latex
S
p
Odors
S
t
2-r
T
Genera
Comments
x
Saurauia
rough, pubescent lvs, drops white corolla, high elev
Annona, Anaxagorea
strong bark, lvs never serrate, long thin lvs
Philodendron, Monstera,
Dieffenbachia
monocot; large succulent lvs, spadix inflorescence,
sheathing petioles
Alnus
high elevation on disturbed soil
borage
Cordia, Ehretia
asperous lvs, ant domatia
Bromeliaceae
pineapple
Bromelia, Vriesea, Tillandsia,
Guzmania
monocot; rosette form, coriaceous leaves, bat
pollinated
Epi,shrub
Cactaceae
cactus
x
Cereus, Opuntia, Epiphyllum
succulent, leafless, spiny plants; spines arise from
felty pads called aureoles, fleshy fruits
Shrb,tree
Capparidaceae
capers
x
Capparis, Forchhammeria
flexed pulvinus, unequal petiole lengths, simple or
compound lvs, many with tan lepidote scales,
seeds like commas
Tree
Cecropiaceae
cecropia
Cecropia, Pourouma
lobed leaves, Azteca ant symbionts, hollow
stems, food bodies at base of petiole, sometimes
placed in Urticaceae
Tree
Combretaceae
Terminalia, Conocarpus
lvs clustered near ends of twigs
Herb
Commelinac
commelina,
tradescantia,
wandering jew
Commelina, Tradescantia
monocot; closed cylindrical sheathing petiole base,
jointed stem, involute vernation, flowers w/ small,
delicate blue/pink petals with bract
Herb
Costaceae
costus
Costus
monocot; lvs ascend in 1-sided spiral, showy
infloresc, closed leaf sheath like Commelinaceae
Liana
Cucurbitaceae
cucumber, gourd
x
Gurania, Cucurbita
vines w/strongly coiling tendrils at rght angles to
leaf axil, palmate venation, lobed leaves
Herb
Cyperaceae
sedges
x
Cyperus, Fimbristylis
monocot; triangular stem, linear lvs, some w/teeth
Tree
Ebenaceae
ebony
Diospyros
coriaceous lvs, wood with black inner bark, fruit like
persimmon, some w/ grooved trunk, lg dark glands
on lower lf surface
Simp Alt
primitive
x
x
x
Life form
Family
Common
name
Latex
Tree
Elaeocarpac
Epi,liana
Ericaceae
blueberry, heath
Tree
Euphorbiaceae
poinsettia, yuca
Tree
Fagaceae
oaks
Tree
Flacourtiaceae
Herb
Heliconiaceae
heliconias
Tree
Lauraceae
avocado
primitive
Tree
Magnoliaceae
magnolia
primitive
Herb,shrb,
Tree
Malvaceae
hibiscus
Herb
Marantaceae
prayer-plant,
rattlesnake plant
Epi,liana
Marcgravac
marcgravia
Tree
Moraceae
fig
white, cafe
con leche
Treelike Herb
Musaceae
bananas
clear sap
Tree
Myristicaceae
nutmeg
Tree
Myrsinaceae
Shrub
Nyctaginaceae
bougainvillea
Epi,liana
Orchidaceae
orchids
white
S
p
Odors
S
t
2-r
x
T
Genera
Comments
x
Sloanea, Muntingia
order Malvales, flexed pulvinus
Cavendishia
small, leathery, roundish lvs, common epiphyte at
mid-high elevation
Sapium, Croton, Hieronyma
order Malvales, some with glands at base of lf;
some with 3-5 veins; some with latex; some
w/stellate hairs
Quercus
acorns, leathery lvs, high elev genus in tropics
Casearia, Hasseltia, Xylosma
always simple, sml teeth, branches perp to stem,
single plane
Heliconia
monocots; long banana-like leaves
Nectandra, Ocotea, Beilshmiedia,
Persea
kinked petiole, oily fruit w/ red cupule and single lg
seed, no latex, always entire margin, stipules
always absent; some genera with opposite leaves;
fruit eaten by quetzals
Magnolia
high elevation, large leaves
Hampea, Malvaviscus, Hibiscus
order Malvales, strong bark, 3-4 veined lvs, showy
flowers with fuzzy stigma
Calathea
monocot; jointed petiole, loud noise when ripped,
ripping exposes hairs; ant dispersed
Marcgravia, Noratea
bat pollinated, looks like simp alt clusia
Ficus, Brosimum, Trophis, Perebea,
Sorocea, Pseudolmedia
conical terminal stipule, thickish twigs
Musa
monocot; cultivated bananas and plantains
Virola
fruit with plush red interior
Ardisia, Myrsine
black punctations on leaves, pale underside
Neea, Pisonia, Bougainvillea,
Boerhavia
ferrugin pubescence on terminal bud, lvs dry black,
smaller lf paired with larger lf
Epidendrum, Pleurothallis,
monocot; succulent lvs, pseudobulbs, roots
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
primitive
x
x
x
S
p
Odors
covered with thick white velamen
T
Genera
Comments
x
Bocconia
paniculate inflorescence; weedy shrub at high elev
Passiflora
showy flowers, fleshy fruit, some with odd shaped
leaves, host to Heliconia butterflies
x
Piper, Pothomorphe, Peperomia
erect white inflorescence, arcuate venation, uneq lf
bases, swollen nodes, strong smells
x
Cynodon, Panicum
monocot; linear leaves in 2-ranks
Life form
Family
Common
name
Latex
Shrub
Papaveraceae
poppy, opium
orange
Epi,liana
Passifloraceae
passionfruit
Epi/liana,shrb
Piperaceae
black pepper
Herb
Poaceae
grass
Tree
Rhizophorac
mangroves
Rhizophora
mangrove family
Shrub,tree
Rosaceae
rose, blackberry
Prunus, Rubus
Prunus--smells of cyanide (almonds)
Tree
Sapotaceae
chicle
Pouteria, Sideroxylon, Manilkara
seeds with characteristic single scar
Vine
Smilacaceae
smilax
x
Smilax
monocot; broad, leathery 3-veined leaves, infl.
spadix, fleshy fruits, climbs with spines on wiry
stem
Shrub,tree
Solanaceae
tomato
x
Solanum, Acnistus, Markea,
Capsicum, Witheringia, Cestrum
often with beige pubescence, small lvs near tips of
twigs, strong smells
Tree
Sterculiaceae
cacao
x
x
Sterculia, Theobroma, Guazuma
order Malvales, flexed pulvinus
Tree
Tiliaceae
basswood,
linden
x
x
Heliocarpus, Apeiba,
Mortoniodendron, Luehea,
Goethalsia
order Malvales, assymmetrical lvs
Tree
Ulmaceae
elm
x
x
Trema
asperous, assymmetrical lvs, weedy tree
Tree, shrub
Urticaceae
nettle
x
Urera
urticating lvs, fruits, flowers; lvs 3-veined; wind
pollinated, fleshy fruits, tree stems may be spiky
Tree
Winteraceae
Drimys
white underside of leaf, living fencepost, primitive
family lacks vessels in wood
Herb
Zingiberaceae
Renealmia
monocot; open leaf sheath, distichous lvs, ginger
odor
pepper
S
t
Oerstedella, Cattleya
2-r
white
tomato
x
wintergreen
ginger
x