Parkia pendula
| Parkia pendula | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Parkia |
| Species: | P. pendula
|
| Binomial name | |
| Parkia pendula (Willd.) Benth. ex Walp.
| |
Parkia pendula is a species of neotropical evergreen tree found throughout Central and South America.[1] It is part of the Parkia genus, a group of flowering plants that are part of the legume family, Fabaceae.[2]
Habitat[]
Parkia pendula can be found in primary and secondary forests, from altitudes of 20 to 500 meters above sea level. It prefers well-drained, subtropical environments, ideally thriving on hills or slopes with a 30% incline that experience more than 4000 mm of precipitation annually.[3] They commonly grow alongside Peltogyne purpurea, Caryocar costaricense, and .
An adult tree is very flood tolerant, capable of withstanding long-term submersion. Despite this, early seedlings can only survive a few weeks in flooded conditions, limiting the range of environments Parkia pendula can thrive in.[4][5]
Range & distribution[]
Parkia pendula can be found in a variety of countries, mainly Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.[2] It grows in many lowland forests, with a large reserve found in a national park in Espirito Santo, Brazil[6]
Threats[]
Insects, specifically certain species of beetles, deposit eggs inside the bud of Parkia pendula, acting as a parasite on the seeds[6] . Despite this, there is no considerable impact on the persistence of the species and the IUCN lists it as a species of Least Concern.[2]
Description[]
Parkia pendula trees range from 15 to 50 meters in height and can be up to 1.2 meters in diameter.[3] The bark is either whitish-grey or reddish-brown and plated, with many lenticels.[3] The strong, fruity aroma of a blooming Parkia pendula can be attributed to monoterpenes in the flower, specifically the stereoisomers (Z)