curved toward the leaf tip. Bark is often quite corky and dirty tan in color. Similar Species: Casearia species (punctations in leaves). Vismia baccifera (L.) Triana & Planch.; GUTTIFERAE. Description: Shrub to small sized tree. Simple, opposite leaves, usually 15-20 cm in length. Acuminate leaves with brown pubescent. Young leaves are characteristically clasped together over the shoot tip. Habitat and Phenology: Can be common in regenerating pastures in moister areas. Ximenia americana L. "Limoncillo, Pepenance"; OLACACEAE. Description: Small to medium sized tree. Simple, leathery-thick, alternate leaves, usually 4-8 cm in length. Leaves rhombic to oval in shape. Young stems tend to be dark red brown with distinctive 5-6 sides or angles. Young stems may also have small 3-6 mm spines. Dried leaves turn a green to olive green color. Habitat and Phenology: Appears to be more abundant along the tops cliffs or hills. Similar Species: Adelia triloba (stem circular in cross section). Xylosma flexuosa (Kunth) Hemsl. (= X. anisophylla ); FLACOURTICACEAE. Description: Small tree. Simple alternate leaves, 6-12 cm in length. Leaves are oval in shape with relatively large, rounded, serrations. Leaf tip tends to be rounded, often terminating in an inward curving "dimple". Sometimes young stems have 2-6 cm long, thin, sharp spines. Spines may also protrude from the trunk. Habitat and Phenology: Rare understory tree. Zanthoxylum setulosum P. Wilson "Largato"; RUTACEAE. Description: Medium sized tree. Pinnately compound-odd alternate leaves, approximately 40 cm in length (but variable), with dark green lanceolate leaflets. Leaves with about 7-10 pairs of lanceolate leaflets up to 13 cm in length. Leaflet size usually increases from leaf base to leaf tip. Leaflets can be slightly serrated. Leaves are usually clustered at stem ends. Easily recognized by prominent spines on trunk, and sometimes on young branches and on rachis of leaf. Trunk spines distinctively are angular and not circular in cross-section. Leaves have a strong citrus smell when crushed. Habitat and Phenology: Flowers mid dry season. Comments: The three local species with many spines on their trunks can be easily separated by their leaf form: simple leaves = Hura crepitens, palmately compound leaves = Pachira quinata, pinnate compound leaves = Zanthoxylum setulosum. Zexmenia frutescens (Miller) Blake See Lasianthaea fruticosa (L.) K.Becker. Zuelania guidonia (Sw.) Britton & Millsp.; FLACOURTIACEAE. Description: Medium sized tree. Simple, somewhat lanceolate, alternate leaves, approximately 20 cm in length, orientated in a plane. Petiole, leaf underside, and midrib of leaf upper surface are pubescent. The upper surface is dark green and glabrous. Small punctations in leaf when held up to the light. Small, indistinct intrapetiolar stipules. Yellow colored corky trunk, bark flakes off in small pieces when rubbed with the hand. Fruit is a racquetball-sized sphere, 5 cm in diameter, that partially dehisce to reveal a three valve capsule with orange innards. Habitat and Phenology: Mature fruit late dry season. Similar Species: Apeiba tibourbou (larger leaves with obvious intrapetiolar stipules); Castilla elastica (larger leaves with copious white latex).
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