Cariniana legalis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Lecythidaceae |
Genus: | Cariniana |
Species: | C. legalis
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Binomial name | |
Cariniana legalis (Martius) Kuntze
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Cariniana legalis is a species of emergent rainforest tree in the Monkeypot family Lecythidaceae. It is found in the Atlantic forest of south-eastern Brazil, where is known as jequitibá-branco or jequitibá-rosa, and possibly found in Colombia, and Venezuela. These trees can be very large. A C. legalis measured by botanical explorer David Fairchild was 62 feet (19 meters) in circumference with no buttresses at six feet (two meters) above ground.[2]
One of the biggest trees in the Atlantic Forest, there are some old trees in Santa Rita do Passa Quatro and near Petrópolis. One of these trees is more than 3 000 years old.
It is threatened by habitat loss.