Guazuma ulmifolia Lam.

Tree 2-25 m. in height, the trunk 5-60 cm. in diam., the young branches to-mentellous to puberulous. Leaves with a terete petiole 0.5-2 cm. long, tomentellous to puberulous, the stipules small and triangular, the blade ovate, ovate-oblong, oblong or seldom narrowly oblong, slightly to very much inaequilateral, rounded to cordate at the base, long-acuminate at the apex, ca. 6-16 cm. long and 2-6 cm. wide, membranous to chartaceous, sometimes subcoriaceous, the margins irregu-larly dentate to serrate, the upper surface shortly puberulous, seldom glabrous, gener-ally scabridulous and sometimes somewhat lustrous, the lower surface puberulous to tomentellous, the pubescence either of only appressed hairs or of appressed and spreading hairs, 3-to 7-nerved at the base, the nervation reticulate and prominent beneath. Inflorescences thyrsiform, the ultimate axes scorpioid, the axes and bracts densely puberulous to tomentellous. Flowers with a pedicel ca. 3-6 mm. long; calyx ca. 3 mm. in diam., divided irregularly into 3 lobes ca. 3 mm. long, densely puberulous to tomentellous outside and glabrous or nearly so inside; petals obovate, slightly bifid at the apex, ca. 4 mm. long (without appendage) and 2 mm. wide, the claw ca. 0.5-1 mm. long, the appendage ca. 5 mm. long and bifid for ca. 3 mm., yellowish, puberulous outside, glabrous inside; staminal tube 1.2-1.5 mm. long, glabrous outside, loosely puberulous and with simple hairs on the upper part inside, the filaments ca. 0.8-1 mm. long, the staminodes ca. 0.8-1 mm. long and loosely puberulous; anthers very small, reddish; ovary ovoid to globose, ca. 0.8-1 mm. long and 0.8 mm. broad, shortly puberulous especially on the upper half; style and stigma ca. 1-1.5 mm. long. Capsule oblong, oblong-ellipsoid to globose, rounded on both ends, 1.5-4 cm. long and 1.2-2.5 cm. broad, black at maturity, tuberculate, the tubercles short, stout and more or less pyramidal, puberulous when young, indehiscent (the tubercles separating irregularly at maturity to a greater or less degree), somewhat pulpy inside; seeds numerous, obovoid, ca. 2.5-3.5 mm. long and 1.8-2 mm. wide, the testa maculate.

It is a tropical plant. It is native to tropical America. It will grow on poor soils. It grows from sea level to 1,200 m in the tropics. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall below 1,200 mm. It can grow in arid places. Madras. At ECHO.

The ripe fruit capsule is eaten. The fruit is rich in mucilage. The green fruits are eaten raw, cooked, crushed in water to make a drink or used to flavour other foods. The sap is used to clarify syrup in the making of sugar.

Plants are grown from seed. It is considered that seeds which have passed through an animals digestive tract grow more easily. Seeds are soaked in water at 90°C for 4 minutes then in cool water for 24 hours. Seedlings can be transplanted after 7 months. It can be grown from cuttings.