return to: checklist; keys; family Malvaceae (formerly Sterculiaceae)

Guazuma ulmifolia Lam.; piixoy

Tree; leaves alternate, 2-ranked, simple, ovate, base cordate, sometimes oblique, margin toothed, apex acuminate, with three prominent basal veins, stellate-pubescent below; flowers in axillary cymes, pale yellow-green; fruit a woody capsule with a bumpy surface.

Additional images:

• leaves (photographed at Hacienda Tabi)
• leaves and flowers (photographed at UADY Veterinary School)
• flowers
• flowers and very young fruits (photographed at UADY Veterinary School)

As with many of the Malvales, the bark of Guazuma ulmifolia yields a strong fiber. Standley (1930) indicates that the fruit is sweet and mucilaginous and consumed by a variety of animals; the many large seeds limit human consumption. The flowers are important nectar sources for honey bees (Souza Novello 1981, Suarez Molina 1981).