PlantFiles: Clusia
Clusia lanceolata

This is a typical species from the vegetation on the Brazilian sandy coastal plains, the environment known as "Restinga". Clusia lanceolata can be seen as the main vegetational component in many places, specially on relatively compact soils.

It has leathery dark green leaves, with a distinct petiole, unlike other Clusias that has almost sessile leaves. The leaves have also a white sap that may be irritatig, and definetly toxic if ingested.

The plant is unissexual, meaning that it can be male or female plants with different flowers. Both flowers are white, with a red spot in the middle, and a sticky resinous substance around the sexual aparatus. The male flowers have tens of short stamens forming a ball cut in a half, and the pollen comes out like toothpaste. The female flowers have distinct stigmas and ovarium. The resin is apreciated by certain species of bees, that harvest it like crazy.

The female flowers usually comes out first, generally followed by the male plants. The fruits are red capsules that open when ripen, expeling orange cylindrical seeds that should be sowed as soon as possible.

It needs full sun, regular watering and high temperatures. The soil can be just white sand, but it goes better on some clay soil mixed with sand. A beautiful plant more common in its natural habitat than in cultivation.