L., Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 553.1763 Cruceta, Guavito, Guavito amargo, Guavo amargo, Hombre grande, Puesilde, Quassia, Bitterwood Shrub or small tree, to 4 (8) m tall, glabrous; sap bitter. Leaves imparipinnate; rachis and petiole winged; leaflets 3 or 5, elliptic to oblanceolate, abruptly acuminate, gradually tapered to base, 5-16 cm long, 3-6.5 cm wide, sessile, bicolorous. Flowers 5-parted, in elongate, terminal racemes (rarely paniculate banally); branches of inflorescences and pedicels pinkish; pedicels 1-4 cm long; sepals minute, free; corolla 2.5-4.5 cm long at anthesis the slender petals glabrous, bright pink outside, white inside, soon falling; stamens 10, exserted at anthesis; filaments curiously hooked, flattened and bearded near base; anthers yellow, longitudinally dehiscent; styles connate, equal to or longer than stamens; stigma 1, simple or slightly lobed. Drupes 4 or 5 (rarely 2 or 3), black, ovoid, 1-1.5 cm long, on a broad red receptacle; seed suspended from apex. Croat 4038, 4754. Common in the forest, especially in some areas. Flowers principally in the late rainy and early dry seasons (August to March). The fruits mature within about 2 months, mostly from December to February. The fruits are eaten by white-faced monkeys (Hladik & Hladik, 1969). Southern Mexico to northern South America. In Panama, known principally from tropical moist forest in the Canal Zone, Bocas del Toro, Colón, Chiriqui, Veraguas, Coclé, Panama, and Darien; known also from tropical dry forest in Panama (Taboga Island) and from tropical wet forest in Panama and Darien.