Parmentiera cereifera Seem.

Small tree to 20 cm d.b.h. and 7 m tall, usually several-branched near the base, the main branches strongly ascending, the crown open; twigs terete, subpuberulous, the nodes often double with a pair of small leaves in the axil of a larger pair, foliaceous pseudostipules sometimes present, 6-10 mm long and 3-4 mm wide. Leaves opposite, 3-foliolate; leaflets elliptic to elliptic-rhomboid, acute to acuminate, basally attenuate, the terminal leaflet 3.6-9.5 cm long and 1.4-4 cm wide, the lateral leaflets 3.0-6.5 cm long and 1.4-3.6 cm wide, membranaceous, secondary veins in 4-6 pairs, somewhat lepidote at least beneath, simple-puberulous along the midvein above and beneath, espe-cially in axils of lateral nerves, usually with a few plate-shaped glands along the mid-vein beneath, drying olive to blackish; petiolules not differentiated, petiole conspicuously winged, 2.4-6.2 cm long, the wing to 0.4 cm wide, widest apically and basally attenuate, the midrib slightly scabrous. Inflorescence a single cauliflorous flower or a fascicle of 2-3 flowers borne on abbreviated short-shoots on larger branches or trunk, the pedicels lepidote, 0.9-1.6 cm long. Flowers with musky odor, the calyx spathaceously split on the ventral side, 1.9-4.9 cm long and 0.9-2.9 cm wide, inconspicuously lepidote, at least at the base; corolla pure white, tubular with a horizontal pleat midway across the lower side of throat, slightly fleshy, 3.7-6.4 cm long and 1.8-2.9 cm wide at the mouth, the tube 2.5-4.0 cm long, the lobes basally fused, 1.0-1.1 cm long, mostly glabrous throughout, the epidermal cells apparently glandular, a few stalked-lepidote trichomes at the level of stamen insertion inside and on lobes outside; stamens subexserted, the anther thecae thick, partially divergent, 5-8 mm long, the anterior filaments 2.6-3.5 cm long, inserted 1.1-1.8 cm from base of corolla tube, the posterior filaments 2.7-3.2 cm long, inserted 1.2-1.7 cm from the base of the corolla tube, the staminode 1.0-1.9 cm long, inserted 0.9-2.3 cm from the base of corolla tube; pistil 3.1-4.8 cm long, the ovary linear-cylindrical, 7-8 mm long and 1.5-2 mm wide, glabrous with glandular epi-dermis, the ovules irregularly 8-10-seriate; disc annular-pulvinate, 1.5-2 mm long and 6 mm wide. Fruit elongate-linear, subterete in cross section, 39-54 cm long and 1.0-2.4 cm wide, glabrous to sparsely lepidote, waxy yellow, divided into a fleshy part surrounding the seeds and a fibrous central core surrounded by the seeds; seeds small, thin, 3-4 cm long and 3-4 cm wide, with a narrow but distinct mucilaginous wing.

A tropical plant. It is native to Panama. It grows on limestone formations. It can tolerate some drought. It is best in full sun or bright shade. It needs well drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In XTBG Yunnan.

The fruit are eaten.

Plants are grown from seed.