Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Rosales > Rosaceae > Prunus > Prunus cortapico

Prunus cortapico

Synonyms: Laurocerasus cortapico (homotypic); Prunus skutchii

Attributes

Edible [1]  May be edible. See the Plants For A Future link below for details.
Flower Type [1]  Hermaphrodite
Hazards [1]  Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where most, if not all members of the genus produce hydrogen cyanide, a poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. This toxin is found mainly in the leaves and seed and is readily detected by its bitter taste. It is usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm but any very bitter seed or fruit should not be eaten. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion, it is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death.
Leaf Type [1]  Evergreen
Pollinators [1]  Insects, Lepidoptera
Structure [1]  Shrub
Usage [1]  A green dye can be obtained from the leaves; A dark grey to green dye can be obtained from the fruit;
View Plants For A Future Record : Prunus cortapico

Protected Areas

Name IUCN Category Area acres Location Species Website Climate Land Use
Guanacaste National Park II 85819 Costa Rica  
Reserva de la Biosfera de la Amistad Biosphere Reserve II 493313 Costa Rica  
Rincón de la Vieja National Park II 35068 Costa Rica  

External References

Citations

Attributes / relations provided by
1Plants For A Future licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0