''Castilla'' (sometimes incorrectly spelled ''Castilloa'') is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of three species of large trees in the family

Moraceae Moraceae is a family of flowering plants comprising about 48 genera and over 1100 species, and is commonly known as the mulberry or fig family. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however, their ...

, native to Central and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

Etymology

This genus is named after Juan Diego del Castillo (d. 1793), a Spanish botanist who was a friend of Vicente Cervantes, who chose the name in his friend's honor.

Description

''Castilla'' species are monoecious or dioecious trees up to 40 meters tall, with buttressed trunks and abundant white latex of commercial value. The branchlets have scars left by the fallen stipules. The leaves are oblong to elliptic, with entire margins. The inflorescences are surrounded by bracts and have small flowers. The male flowers are borne in lengthwise-folded kidney-shaped inflorescences and female flowers in globose inflorescences. The infrutescence varies in shape and has orange or red fruits.

Ecology

''Castilla'' species exhibit a phenomenon known as cladoptosis, the regular shedding of branches. This may be an adaptation to prevent the growth of climbing plants. ''Castilla elastica'' is a weedy tree which has become invasive in areas where it has been introduced, such as in Tanzania and the South Pacific.

Uses

The main species is ''Castilla elastica'', one of several plants from which rubber has been extracted. The vernacular name is ''Panama rubber tree'' or ''castilloa rubber''. The pre-Columbian MesoAmericans used the latex of this plant to make a ball used in a ceremonial game. The Miskitu and Mayangna peoples of the

Mosquito Coast The Mosquito Coast, also known as Mosquitia, is a historical and Cultural area, geo-cultural region along the western shore of the Caribbean Sea in Central America, traditionally described as extending from Cabo Camarón, Cape Camarón to the C ...

, stretching from the Honduras to Nicaragua, traditionally made fabric from the bark of the Tunu rubber tree (''Castilla tunu'').

Species

References