Cecropia sciadophylla Mart.

Tree up to 30 m tall. Branchlets 1.5-5 cm thick, hirsute (to subvillous) or glabrous; prostomata absent. Stipules 30-50 cm long, caducous, sparsely appressed-puberulous outside; petiole up to 70 cm long, trichilia absent; blade coriaceous, ca. 20-70(-100) x 20-70(-100) cm, incisions 11-15, down to (near) the petiole, upper surface smooth, lower surface (sub)glabrous on the veins, with arachnoid hairs in the areoles; secondary veins of the midsegment ca. 25-45 pairs, unbranched, submarginally loop-connected. Staminate inflorescences: peduncle patent, 7-15 cm long; spathe 8-18 cm long; spikes ca. 8-15, stipitate, 7-15 x 0.4-0.8 cm; perianth muriculate at the apex, with dense, arachnoid hairs below the apex; anthers after abscission attached to the flower by the stretched spiral thickenings of the vascular bundle of the filament. Pistillate inflorescences: peduncle patent, 3-8 cm long; spathe 8-12 cm long; spikes 4-6, (sub)sessile, 7-10 x 0.8-1 cm, in fruit up to 20 x 1.5 cm; perianth muriculate at the apex, arachnoid hairs below the apex; stigma penicillate. Fruit 2-3 mm long, tuberculate.

Open areas in primary rainforests and widespread in secondary formations. Found mainly in low, flat land alongside watercourses.

The ashes of the leaves are used to flavour coca. Water is extracted from the roots.

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds need light to germinate. Seeds sprout in 2-3 weeks. Plants can be grown from cuttings.