Apoplanesia paniculata
Family:
Native to:
Habitat:
Fabaceae
Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica.
Tropical dry forest. Elevations between 200-300 meters above sea level. 8 meter tall tree.
Ecological value:
Dense masses of white flowers attracts pollinators including bees, and various species of Lepidoptera (family of butterflies/moths). The flowers are attractive in that they are clustered in multiples, and have yellow or raspberry-colored blotches. Fixes atmospheric nitrogen.
Material uses:
Wood, hard and resilient and resistant to decay. Used locally for small cabinets, in turnery -traditionally used in turnery to make bowls. Yellow dye from bark. Some accounts report a red dye. Was a valuable source of red dye for the Maya.
Edible uses:
No record on this species.
Medicinal use:
No record on this species.
Other details:
Known as Kikche in Mayan. ‘Kik’ means ‘blood’ and ‘she’ means ‘wood’. If a cut is made in the bark, it exudes a red sap. Dye used in Mayan murals.
Research:
Senna Lau/Christine Facella
Sources:
“Apoplanesia Paniculata C.Presl | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science.” n.d. Plants of the World Online. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:474901-1/general-information.
“Apoplanesia Paniculata - Useful Tropical Plants.” n.d. Tropical.theferns.info. Accessed November 29, 2023. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Apoplanesia+paniculata.
“APOPLANESIA PANICULATA.” n.d. Backyardnature.net. Accessed November 29, 2023. https://backyardnature.net/yucatan/kikche.htm#:~:text=Three%20features%20are%20worth%20noting.
Image source: Pablo Carrillo-Reyes