Tovomita > Tovomita
Tovomita
Tovomita
Origin: Brazil (Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará and Rondônia), Colombia (Vaupés) and Peru (Loreto).
| Family |
| Clusiaceae |
| Genus |
| Tovomita |
| Height |
| 30 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Tovomita are shrubs or trees that reach up to 30 m tall. Some species, have large prop roots. |
| ID Characteristic |
| The most important feature for this genus is the viscous exudate that seeps out from all parts of the plant when they are injured. This exudate is quite sticky and is often used by bees in building nests. |
| Habitat |
| Tovomita occurs from the moist forests of Costa Rica to Bolivia, Brazilian Atlantic Forest, and on the oceanic islands of Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia and Trinidad in the Caribbean sea. Some species have extensive ranges from the Amazon to the Atlantic Forest, while others are endemic to specific, localized habitats. |
| Flower Description |
| Small and somewhat showy being a greenish-white colour. There are few species that have flowers with bright colours (red to purplish-red). The flowers of Tovomita have a pleasant and sweet floral scent that can permeate long distances and attract the bees responsible for their pollination. |
| Fruit Description |
| The pulp (mesocarp) of the fruit has strong colours such as purplish-red or red, and the fleshy aril of the seeds can be red, orange or yellow, producing a stark contrast with the dark green leaves. |
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