Oreomunnea mexicana

Oreomunnea mexicana is a species of plant in the family Juglandaceae, which grows in the tropical rain forests of Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama at altitudes from 1–1.7 km. Common names include guayabo amarillo and remiendo. The chromosome number is 2n = 32.

Synonymy

Engelhardia nicaraguensis Molina and E. mexicana Standl. are synonyms for O. mexicana subsp. mexicana.

Tree

O. mexicana grows to 30 m or more, up to 1.5m DBH, often with buttresses, and superficially resembles a walnut. The bark on a mature tree exfoliates. The heartwood is pink. The pith is solid. The buds are protected by leaf primordia, with a fine coating of yellow scales (O. pterocarpa has glabrous primordia.

Leaves

The petioles of the opposite, coriaceous, pinnately compound leaves are glabrous at the base. The petioles are short as are the petiolules of the opposite leaflets. The leaflets, up to 1 dm in length, are 4-5 times as long as they are wide. The upper surface of the leaf is glaucous; the underside has a light yellow-brown peltate bloom.

Flowers and fruit

The inflorescences are panicles, and may be androgynous, entirely staminate, or entirely pistalate. The fruit bears three wings on a globose nut, approximately 7 mm in diameter. Germination is hypogeal: the first two aerial leaves are pinately compound and opposite; for the next 3-6 dm, the leaves are placed alternately.