When I worked at Flamingo Lodge in Everglades National Park, many years ago, there was a very interesting tree in front of the lodge that visitors would inquire about. It was Clusia major (formerly Clusia rosea), also going by such unusual names as autograph tree, pitch-apple and Scotch attorney. Autograph tree makes the most sense, since it is possible to "write" on the leaves with any pointed object. At the time, and up to this very day, I find this tree to be fabulously exotic. It is actually native to the Caribbean, making it both tropical and local, a great combination as far as I'm concerned. The leaves are firm and waxy, like a Ficus, whereas the nuts and beautiful white flowers are quite unique.
The only other member of the Clusiaceae family that has crossed my radar is Garcinia gummi-gutta, also known as garcinia cambogia, another tropical oddity that has recently been popularized as an herbal supplement. The claim is that it promotes weight loss. Whether that is true or not, what we do know for certain is that it hails from Indonesia and used in Southeast Asian cooking for making curries, among other things.
This is a relatively small family, around 1600 species that are mostly found in the tropics.
This is a relatively small family, around 1600 species that are mostly found in the tropics.
I insist on a picture!
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