Энтеролобиум циклокарп: Дерево-гигант Американских тропиков

Species of legume

Enterolobium cyclocarpum, commonly known as conacaste, guanacaste, caro caro, devil's ear tree, monkey ear tree, or elephant ear tree, is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, that is native to tropical regions of the Americas, from central Mexico south to northern Brazil (Roraima) and Venezuela. It is known for its large proportions, expansive, often spherical crown, and curiously shaped seedpods. The abundance of this tree, especially in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, where it is prized for the shady relief it provides from the intense sun, coupled with its immensity, have made it a widely recognized species. It is the national tree of Costa Rica. In North America, it is often called elephant ear tree, due to the shape of the seedpods. Other common names include devil's ear and earpod tree, parota, and orejón (Spanish) or'huanacaxtle (Nahuatl). In El Salvador, it is known as conacaste. In the Yucatán peninsula, it is known by the Mayan name, pich. In Panama, it is known as a corotú.

Guanacaste trees appear to delay the onset of fruit development—some 9 months—so that seed maturation coincides with the start of the rainy season. This adaptive behavior presumably is an adaptation to give germinating seedlings as much time as possible to establish root systems before the start of the next dry season. Both the jatobá (Hymenaea courbaril) and the cenizaro (Albizia saman) exhibit similar reproductive strategies. Of course, guanacaste trees—like all deciduous and semideciduous species in this part of the world—share in the water conserving benefits of dry season leaflessness. Guanacaste flowers are heavily visited by bees—insects that probably are responsible for pollination, as well. Guanacaste seed pods, however, are completely ignored by native fauna and they accumulate on the forest floor underneath parent trees. The seeds are not eaten by any animals currently native where the tree occurs, rendering the plant an evolutionary anachronism: it has been suggested that guanacaste pods were among the foods exploited by certain species of Pleistocene megafauna that became extinct some 10,000 years ago (e. g. giant ground sloths, giant bison). Within this scenario, the tree remains today without an effective seed dispersing vector besides humans. As discussed above, the tough coated guanacaste seeds do not begin to grow unless their protective covers are punctured in some way. This may be an adaptation designed to keep the seeds from germinating while still in the pods at the start of the rainy season—and very likely still underneath the parent tree after having fallen from its crown. With more time to find them, foraging ground sloths (and other extinct mammals) could eat the pods and transport the seeds to a new site. The resulting mastication and digestion of the fruits would induce seed coat abrasion, which would help seed germination. Nowadays this role of mastication and dispersal has been taken up primarily by horses and cattle. An insect pest, common to guanacaste trees of the Costa Rican Central Valley, produces spherical green galls of diameter on new shoots in February and March. Similar parasitism seems to occur on guanacaste trees of the wet, southwestern lowlands (around Palmar Sur).

The guanacaste is among the most majestic and aesthetically pleasing of tree species in its native range. Tolerant of a wide range of rainfall levels, temperatures, and soil conditions, they can thrive in most low elevation, tropical habitats. Guanacaste trees are highly valued as ornamentals, and the shade they provide creates many an oasis on the searing and sun baked plains in its Pacific slope habitat. It is widely grown as a shade tree to shelter coffee plantations and for shade and forage for cattle; it also improves soil fertility by nitrogen fixation. The guanacaste is found in USDA Growth Zones 10–12. The wood is reddish brown, lightweight (density ) and water resistant; it is used to make items such as doors, windows, furniture, and cabinets, and for shipbuilding. It is considered a relatively sustainable resource for wooden furniture and design projects, largely due to the tree's ability to quickly reach large sizes, which also makes it easier to find large natural cuts up to several meters, which is rare for other slower growing woods, such as oak or cedar. The town of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle in Nayarit (Mexico) derives its name from the fact that a cross used to stand there made of guanacaste wood. While the seed pods are still green, they are harvested and the seeds eaten boiled in Mexico. Its roots are strong, and those of large trees may damage nearby structures. Guanacaste is commonly used to feed all kind of livestock; its foliage, fruits, and seeds are relished by cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, and horses. The parota tree is believed to provide medical benefits. In Mexican folk medicine, the sap is thought to aid illnesses such as influenza and bronchitis, while the astringent properties of its green fruit are used for diarrhea. The fruit and bark also contain tannins, which are useful for leather curing and soap manufacturing, while the sap can be used as a natural adhesive or substitute for glue, or chewed as a type of gum.