Costa Rica
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Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Piper aduncum
Food
Livestock Forage
Firewood
Medicinal
Product
Ceremonial
Costa Rican Common Name
Cordoncillo, platanillo
Tree Family
Piperaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
14cm
Length
×
7cm
Width
Tree Height
Small (10–20m)
Elevational Range (m)
0–2600m
0 3000
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Costa Rica

Native to

Region
Americas
Latin America
Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Islands
Costa Rica
Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas, San José

Exotic in

Ascensión, Fiji, Florida, Galapagos, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu

Coffee Agroforestry Information

Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Unknown
Cultivation
Planted
Natural
Regeneration
Regenerates Naturally
Tree Management
Propagated and planted in a nursery by means of seeds, cuttings and seedlings.
Climate Change Adaptability
unknown

Tree Benefits and Uses

Farmer Uses
  • Food
  • Livestock Forage
  • Firewood
  • Medicinal
  • Product
  • Ceremonial

Food: Fruits used as a condiment.

Medicinal: The leaves are used as a healing agent, antiseptic, to evacuate gallstones, relieve respiratory and urinary diseases, in gastrointestinal ailments and as an infusion for gargling.

Product: Used as an insecticide.

Firewood: Used as fuel.

Farm Services
  • Soil Improvement
  • Carbon Capture

Carbon capture: Capture and storage of atmospheric carbon.

Soil improvement: Conservation and recovery of soils.

Biodiversity Benefits
Yes

Attracts biological controllers, Attracts pollinators

When they are producing fruit, these small trees attract several species of birds. Various insects are also attracted, even large ones such as stick insects.

Citations

Citations

Plants of the World Online (POWO). (2024). Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (2024). IUCN Red List. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.iucnredlist.org

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Service. (2024). Plants Database. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://plants.usda.gov/home

Fern, Ken (2024). Tropical Plants Database. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://tropical.theferns.info

World Flora Online. (2024). World Flora Online. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.worldfloraonline.org

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). (2024). GBIF. Published on the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.gbif.org/es

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