''Pleodendron macranthum'' (chupacallos) is a rare species of

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

in the family

Canellaceae The Canellaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants in the Order (biology), order Canellales.Walter S. Judd, Christopher S. Campbell, Elizabeth A. Kellogg, Peter F. Stevens, and Michael J. Donoghue. 2008. ''Plant Systematics: A Phy ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, where there are only three tiny populations remaining. Two individual plants are located in El Yunque and 8 to 10 plants remain in Río Abajo State Forest. This tree is a federally listed

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

of the United States. This

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

tree grows up to 10 meters tall and 20 centimeters in diameter. The wood is hard and white in color. The leathery leaves are up to 12.5 centimeters long by 5 wide. The blades are dark green, shiny, and smooth on the edges. Flowers occur singly in the leaf axils. The flower is 2 centimeters wide and has 12 petals. The fruit ripens purple-black and is about 2 centimeters wide.USFWS
Recovery Plan for ''Pleodendron macranthum'' and ''Eugenia haematocarpa''.
September 11, 1998. This tree is rare and limited in distribution because of

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

and habitat modification in the forests of Puerto Rico.

References

Canellaceae Endemic flora of Puerto Rico Critically endangered plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Henri Ernest Baillon {{magnoliid-stub