Monkey-pot tree (Lecythis lanceolata)
Description
Lecythis minor is a small to medium sized tree that ranges from 5–25 m (16–82 ft) in height and has a 70 cm (28 in) diameter at breast height. Its bark is grey, and is smooth when the tree is young but develops deep vertical fissures as the tree ages.It has oval-shaped leaves that are about 8.5–24.5 cm (3.3–9.6 in) long and 4.5–10 m (15–33 ft) wide. The leaves are glabrous, or smooth, as well as coriaceous, meaning they are stiff and tough but still flexible. The leaves also have 12 to 19 pairs of lateral veins, and the leaf stalks are 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) and puberulous, or covered with tiny hairs.The flowers of Lecythis minor are arranged on a stalk called a rachis, being 10–35 cm (3.9–13.8 in) long, and the inflorescences, or clusters of flowers on the rachis, are white to yellow. Each rachis has 10 to 75 flowers, and the rachis are glabrous.The fruit of the tree are a distinct cup shape representative of the Lecythis genus, and are spherical with a 7.5–11 mm (0.30–0.43 in) thick pericarp, or fruit wall.The seeds are reddish-brown and fusiform, or rod shaped, and contain toxic amounts of selenium.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Ericales
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Family: Lecythidaceae
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Genus: Lecythis
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