Weinmannia pinnata

Weinmannia pinnata is a large shrub some 2 to 4 m (7 to 13 ft) tall which sometimes grows into a small tree. The trunk can reach 30 cm (12 in) in diameter and the bark exudes an astringent gum.[3] The pinnate leaves are up to 10 cm (4 in) long and are stalkless. They are arranged in opposite pairs and have a winged midrib. The nine to twenty leaflets are oval, have serrated margins and rusty-brown hairs on the underside. The small flowers are in 10 cm (4 in) spikes similar to those of the bottlebrush; the buds are tinged pink and the flowers are white with pink centres. The fruits are dry and red, and divided in two parts. They are tipped by the remains of the long style.[4]

The species is found in South and Central America and in the West Indies. In South America its range includes Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela and in Central America it ranges from Panama to Mexico.[1] In the Caribbean it is present on the arc of islands from Cuba to St Lucia. It grows in wet mountain forests; in Guatemala its altitude range is 2,000 to 3,100 m (6,600 to 10,200 ft).[3] Along with Prestoea montana, Brunellia comocladifolia and Podocarpus coriaceus, it is present in the wet cloud forests on the ridges and summits of the Sierra de Luquillo mountains in Puerto Rico.[5]