English: Ecuador laurel; Cypre; Onion Cordia; Laurel Blanco; Spanish elm.
Synonym: Cerdana alliodora; Cordia cerdana. Lithocardium alliodorum.
Region: South America, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyanas; Central America, Panama to Mexico; Caribbean.
Habitat: dry and wet forest; sea level up to 1000 to 2,000 metres; prefers tender, moist soil, full sun, cannot grow in the shade; tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Use: bark as condiment; leaves are used medicinally; fruit, inner bark for food
Botany:Tree; fast-growing; tropical; up to 12 to 30 m in height, 20 m wide; compact crown; pioneer, readily inhabits bare soil.
Stem: straight; trunk is smooth, light coloured; wood is moderately durable, resistant to fungus and termites, has an attractive finish.
Pollination by
Lepidoptera, bees.
Fruits: ellipsoid; edible but not scrumptious; 5 to 7mm long; 2 mm wide.