return to: checklist; keys; family Boraginaceae

Cordia dodecandra A. DC.; ciricote

Tree; leaves alternate, simple, wide elliptic, margins toothed, upper surface very rough (scabrous); inflorescence terminal; flowers orange-red, funnel-like, with numerous lobes; fruit egg-shaped, yellow at maturity, edible. (Image at left photographed in Merida.)

Additional images:

• leaves, flowers and immature fruits
• flowers (photographed in Merida)
• leaves and immature fruit
• leaves and mature fruit (photographed in Merida)
• bark (photographed at CICY, Marida)

The wood is hard, heavy, and beautifully figured, dark brown with streaks of yellow; it is used for general construction, furniture, and cabinetwork. The leaves can be used for their abrasive quality, as a substitute for sandpaper. Fruits can be consumed fresh or cooked. Listed as an important source of pollen and/or nectar for bees (Souza Novello 1981).