Aspidosperma excelsum explained

Aspidosperma excelsum (common name Remo Caspi) is a tree in the Dogbane family Apocynaceae which grows up to one hundred feet (thirty meters) in height. It is native to Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Panama, and Costa Rica.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} Its most interesting characteristic is its trunk, which has a deeply sinuous cross-section, usually described as stellate, It is thought these sinuosities offer some protection against strangling figs (ficus spp), Copay (Clusia spp) and other stranglers by making it more difficult to encircle the tree's cambium.^{[5] [6]}

Notes and References

1. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=17269 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
2. Morales, J.F. (2005). Estudios en las Apocynaceae Neotropicales XIX: La familia Apocynaceae s.str. (Apocynoideae, Rauvolfioideae) de Costa Rica. Darwiniana 43: 90-191.
3. Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
4. Davidse, G. & al. (eds.) (2009). Flora Mesoamericana 4(1): 1-855. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.
5. Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)*Earth.com at https://www.earth.com/plant-encyclopedia/angiosperms/apocynaceae/aspidosperma-excelsum/vi/
6. Aspidosperma excelsum - Useful Tropical Plants at https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aspidospermum+excelsum/