Systematics of Vascular Plants, UH Manoa (HAW:BOT461)
Couroupita guianensis Aubl.
Lecythidaceae
Ben Robinson (November 8, 2018)
USA, HI, Honolulu, Foster Botanical Garden
21.315559 -157.857318 +-16m.
108 meters (354ft)
Species was found at the Foster botanical garden. This habitat seems to receive a lot of sun and shade (depending on the weather). This tree was surrounded by other trees of similar height- it appeared to be thriving in the environment it was in. This habitat gets lots of rain as well.
soil
Couroupita guianensis, commonly known as cannonball tree, is a soft-wooded, deciduous tropical tree of the Brazil nut family that typically matures to 50-75’ (infrequently to 100’) tall. It is primarily native to rainforests in the Guianas (French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana) in northeastern South America, but has been widely planted in a number of different tropical to semi-tropical areas around the world. The common name is in reference to the unusual, bordering-on-the bizarre, woody, globose, hard-shelled, reddish-brown fruits of this tree which mature to a cannonball size of 8-10” in diameter. On windy days, the fruits often bang against each other on the tree creating a sound reportedly resembling a cannonade. Each fruit contains 200-300 seeds which are embedded in an ill-smelling, soft red pulp which turns bluish-green when exposed to air. Each fruit typically takes 1 year or more to mature. When ripe, fruits drop from the tree, usually splitting open as they hit the ground with an explosive splat. Large, pleasantly fragrant, rose-pink to red flowers (each to 4-5” across) bloom in racemes. Each flower has a 6-lobed calyx and 6 spreading petals which encircle two types of stamens (fertile stamens and sterile staminoides) which are borne on a cream-colored androphore. Each individual flower blooms for only one day. Flowers and subsequent fruits are located on drooping, naked, thick, tangled, vine-like stems (extrusions to 2-6’ long) which emerge directly from the trunk and large branches. Old trees often have the lower parts of their trunks completely covered with dangling flower racemes and fruits. Simple, elliptic to ovate to oblong leaves (6-8” long) are primarily clustered near the branch ends. Leaves are alternate or in apical whorls. Leaf margins are entire or finely serrate. Veins on leaf undersides are pubescent. Leaves typically drop once, but sometimes twice, per year, usually in response to dry weather, hence the designation of deciduous for this tropical tree.