Castilla (sometimes incorrectly spelled Castilloa) is a genus of 3 species of large trees in the family Moraceae, native to Central and South America.
This genus is named after Juan Diego del Castillo (d. 1793), a Spanish botanist who was a friend of Vicente Cervantes, who chose the name in his friend's honor.[1] [2]
Castilla species are monoecious or dioecious trees up to 40 meters tall, with buttressed trunks and abundant white latex of commercial value.[3] The branchlets have scars left by the fallen stipules. The leaves are oblong to elliptic, with entire margins.[4] The inflorescences are surrounded by bracts and have small flowers. The male flowers are borne in lengthwise-folded kidney-shaped inflorescences and female flowers in globose inflorescences. The infrutescence varies in shape and has orange or red fruits.
Castilla species exhibit a phenomenon known as cladoptosis, the regular shedding of branches. This may be an adaptation to prevent the growth of climbing plants.[5]
Castilla elastica is a weedy tree which has become invasive in areas where it has been introduced, such as in Tanzania and the South Pacific.[6]
The main species is Castilla elastica, one of several plants from which rubber has been extracted. The vernacular name is Panama rubber tree or castilloa rubber. The pre-Columbian MesoAmericans used the latex of this plant to make a ball used in a ceremonial game.
The Miskitu and Mayangna peoples of the Mosquito Coast, stretching from the Honduras to Nicaragua, traditionally made fabric from the bark of the Tunu rubber tree (Castilla tunu).[7]
| Image | Common Name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panama rubber tree, Castilloa rubber, palo de hule, olicuáhuitl | Castilla elastica Sessé | Mexico, Central America, and northern South America | |
| Castilla tunu Hemsl. | Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Belize | ||
| Caucho rubber, Caucho Negro | Castilla ulei Warb. | Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia | |