The Needle-Flower Tree or Jasmine tree is a shrub or small treelet 10m tall (Gargiullo et al. 2003) in the family Rubiaceae. This plant is known for its long, thin, radially symetrical white flowers that are produced in abundance at the ends of branches in a ‘firework-like’ display. Posoqueria latifolia sometimes is called the Perfume Tree because its abundant, drooping flowers are very fragrant and smell of citrus or gardenias, especially at night (Brown 2015). This evergreen shrub grows in a pyramid shape and is cultivated frequently by gardeners because it produces its distinct flowers in abundance year round (Huxley 1992). Its leaves are simple, opposite, leathery, oval with short stems and stipules, and measure no more than 10-20 cm long by 4-10 cm wide (Gargiullo et al. 2003). The fruit is a round berry 2 inches wide with juicy, sweet, fleshy aril that is sometimes consumed by humans. (Lorenzi et al. 2000). More commonly the fruit is consumed by monkeys and is subsequently called “The Monkey Apple.” This tree is especially important to the conservation of Spider Monkeys and Lion Tamarins (Bourne 1997; Riba-Hernandez et al. 2003).
Originally from Mexico to Northern South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Peru), this plant has been moved around the Old Tropics by humans for oriental garden use (Huxley 1992).
Posoqueria latifolia needs to be in an environment above 28°F with low salinity and little possibility of droughts (Brown). This makes it an ideal plant for understories of moist to wet forests (Gargiullo et al. 2008), along waterways in seasonally dry forests, and on volcanic soils in humid forests (Barwick 2004).
Flowering
Posoqueria latifolia is recognized for its abundant 5-petalled flowers, which are produced at the end of branches in a drooping fashion. The flowers are white, radially symmetrical, and 8-16cm long and arranged in ‘umbels’ of twenty to forty flowers, arranged in clusters stemming from a common center with stalks of similar lengths (Beach 1983). This plant blooms year round (Gargiullo et al. 2008) but has a spike in production in March-May (Brown 2015). This plant may also be cued to flower when there is a period of heavy rain after a dry period (Barwick 2004). There is some evidence that P. latifolia is protandrous, meaning that male reproductive parts come into maturity before female parts. Individual flowers start opening in the late afternoon, an hour or so before dusk, and start releasing their sweet scent. They remain open for two or three nights before the corolla dehisces (bursts open) from the rim of the inferior ovary (Beach 1983).
The mechanism by which P. latifolia releases its pollen is highly specialized. Normally, the stamens are exposed after the corolla lobes ‘pop’ backwards when the flower opens, giving the flower its distinctive, floppy shape. When lightly disturbed, the anther cluster explosively splits apart and the lowermost stamen releases a pollen mass onto whatever is inside the mouth of the corolla, which is typically the front side of a hawkmoth (Beach 1983).
Pollination
Posoqueria latifolia is not self-compatible, which means that it cannot self-fertilize to create offspring (Beach 1983). Thus, external pollinators must facilitate the movement of pollen between plants. This plant is especially adapted for hawkmoth (family Sphingidae) pollination, as is evident by its white, slender corolla that smells stronger at night (Croat 1978). Trigona bees frequently visit open flowers after they have been visited by hawkmoths to take advantage of the leftover pollen (Beach 1983).
Fruiting
Posoqueria latifolia produces a fleshy, yellow or orange globular (round) berry measuring around 6cm with a navel-like disk at the tip. (Gargiullo et al. 2008) The exocarp (external covering) turns from green to yellow at maturity and has the texture of a thin orange peel (Beach 1983). The 4 to 21 seeds inside are translucent, triangular, 1cm long, weigh about 0.5 to 1.4g and are covered in a white to orange aril. Fruiting peaks in September-November (Gargiullo et al. 2008). Mammals and large birds will eat and disperse this fruit (Estrada & Fleming 1986). Spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), white faced Capuchins (Cebus imitator) and tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) are especially cited for dispersing this fruit, thus giving this fruit the name of the “Monkey Apple" (Bourne 1997).
Posoqueria latifolia is one of many plants used by Q’eqchi Mayan peoples for healing practices and is called Jom Che in the Q’eqchi language (Rojas et al. 2010).A blood-clotting compound exists in the bark of this plant and has been used by Amazonian tribes to treat wounds from poison arrows. Additionally, the dried flowers are used to repel fleas (Barwick 2004).
This species is not under major conservation threat, although other species within this genus are under more pressure. It is found in the following wild areas of Costa Rica that could use protection: Arenal, Cordillera, Volcanica Central, Guantacaste, Huetar Norte, La Amistad Caribe, Osa Peninsula, Pacifico Central, Tempisque and Tortugero (Gargiullo et al. 2008).
This plant plays a very important role in the diets of many endangered mammals. Posoqueria latifolia is noted as being important in the diet of the endangered Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) (Bourne 1997; Kierulff et al. 2008). It is also consumed by the Spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) which is also endangered. (Riba-Hernandez et al. 2003; Cuarón et al. 2008).
Posoqueria latifolia, the needle flower, is a tree species in the family Rubiaceae whose range stretches from southern Mexico to the Amazon Jungle in South America. It also goes by the name Boca de Vieja (mouth of the old lady) and its fruit is known as monkey apple.
Posoqueria latifolia, the needle flower, is a tree species in the family Rubiaceae whose range stretches from southern Mexico to the Amazon Jungle in South America. It also goes by the name Boca de Vieja (mouth of the old lady) and its fruit is known as monkey apple.
