Aspidosperma excelsum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Apocynaceae |
Genus: | Aspidosperma |
Species: | A. excelsum
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Binomial name | |
Aspidosperma excelsum | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Aspidosperma excelsum (common name Remo Caspi) is a tree in the Dogbane family Apocynaceae which grows up to one hundred feet (thirty meters) in height. It is native to Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Panama, and Costa Rica.[1][2][3][4][5] Its most interesting characteristic is its trunk, which has a deeply sinuous cross-section, usually described as stellate, It is thought these sinuosities offer some protection against strangling figs (ficus spp), Copay (Clusia spp) and other stranglers by making it more difficult to encircle the tree's cambium.[6][7]