While birding in West Central Florida today I found an unusual looking tree
with light grey bark, nearly empty branches and these peculiar brown human-ear
shaped "pods". Someone called them "lmonkeypods". I think the "pods" were
the only "vegetation" on the treesl, which may have been empty for the winter.
Can anyone identify this tree for certain? I'm living in Tampa Bay area of
Florida. Thanks.

You might try Samanea saman?
PvR

SBaet schreef
While birding in West Central Florida today I found an unusual looking
tree with light grey bark, nearly empty branches and these peculiar brown
human-ear shaped "pods". Someone called them "monkeypods". I think the
"pods" were the only "vegetation" on the trees, which may have been empty
for the winter. Can anyone identify this tree for certain? I'm living in
Tampa Bay area of Florida. Thanks.

Why didn't you ask the people who called it that?

If its a local name, your agricultural extension agent should be able to
provide you with info on it.

Its almost impossible to identify the plant without seeing it.

The psychic plant identification network is in a different newsgroup!


SBaet wrote in message
...
While birding in West Central Florida today I found an unusual looking
tree
with light grey bark, nearly empty branches and these peculiar brown
human-ear
shaped "pods". Someone called them "lmonkeypods". I think the "pods"
were
the only "vegetation" on the treesl, which may have been empty for the
winter.
Can anyone identify this tree for certain? I'm living in Tampa Bay area
of
Florida. Thanks.

You can actually see the plant all the way from the Netherlands?

You must really have good eyes, superman.

So what have we learned from you today?


P van Rijckevorsel wrote in message
...
You might try Samanea saman?
PvR

SBaet schreef
While birding in West Central Florida today I found an unusual looking
tree with light grey bark, nearly empty branches and these peculiar brown
human-ear shaped "pods". Someone called them "monkeypods". I think the
"pods" were the only "vegetation" on the trees, which may have been empty
for the winter. Can anyone identify this tree for certain? I'm living in
Tampa Bay area of Florida. Thanks.

Cereoid+10 schreef
You can actually see the plant all the way from the Netherlands?

You must really have good eyes, superman.

So what have we learned from you today?

+ + +
Do I detect a fear from you that I will be looking through the computer into
your soul?
PvR

In article , wrote...

While birding in West Central Florida today I found an unusual looking tree
with light grey bark, nearly empty branches and these peculiar brown human-ear
shaped "pods". Someone called them "lmonkeypods". I think the "pods" were
the only "vegetation" on the treesl, which may have been empty for the winter.
Can anyone identify this tree for certain? I'm living in Tampa Bay area of
Florida. Thanks.

Sounds like _Enterolobium cyclocarpum_ or a close relative. Native
to Central America [presumably and exotic in Florida]. It becomes
leafless during the dry season in its native haunts.

http://www.winrock.org/forestry/fact...Enterolob.html
http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu/Trial_Sp...romyidae/Liomy
s_salvini_Home_Page/English_Text/E_cyclocarpum_adlt_Eng.html
http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/AFRIS/Data/240.HTM
http://www.greendealer-exotic-seeds....casteTree.html

cheers

wrote...
While birding in West Central Florida today I found an unusual looking
tree with light grey bark, nearly empty branches and these peculiar brown
human-ear shaped "pods". Someone called them "monkeypods". I think the
"pods" were the only "vegetation" on the trees, which may have been empty
for the winter. Can anyone identify this tree for certain? I'm living in
Tampa Bay area of Florida. Thanks.

mel turner schreef
Sounds like _Enterolobium cyclocarpum_ or a close relative. Native
to Central America [presumably and exotic in Florida]. It becomes
leafless during the dry season in its native haunts.

http://www.winrock.org/forestry/fact...Enterolob.html

http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu/Trial_Sp...Heteromyidae/L
iomy s_salvini_Home_Page/English_Text/E_cyclocarpum_adlt_Eng.html
http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/AFRIS/Data/240.HTM
http://www.greendealer-exotic-seeds....casteTree.html

cheers

+ + +
Yes, a good estimate.
Unfortunately the "or a close relative" includes many tree species!

I dug out my The Trees of Florida by Gil Nelson, which claims to be
complete. It lists neither Samanea saman (known widely as "monkeypod") nor
Enterolobium cyclocarpum.

It does list 6 Acacia, 2 Albizia, 1 Lysiloma and 2 Pithecellobium species.
Perhaps worth noting is that the only species that has bark details is
Lysiloma latisiliquum ("with light grey or whitish bark") and that further
details include "flat pod, 6-10cm, 2-4cm wide, usually remaining on the tree
throughout the year". Might be worth a look?

Of course if it is a roadside tree, anything is possible.
PvR

You're tripping, dude.

Its better that you stay away from those magic mushrooms.

Be careful you don't crash when you come down from that cloud.


P van Rijckevorsel wrote in message
news
Cereoid+10 schreef
You can actually see the plant all the way from the Netherlands?

You must really have good eyes, superman.

So what have we learned from you today?

+ + +
Do I detect a fear from you that I will be looking through the computer
into
your soul?
PvR

In article ,
wrote...

wrote...
While birding in West Central Florida today I found an unusual looking
tree with light grey bark, nearly empty branches and these peculiar brown
human-ear shaped "pods". Someone called them "monkeypods". I think the
"pods" were the only "vegetation" on the trees, which may have been empty
for the winter. Can anyone identify this tree for certain? I'm living in
Tampa Bay area of Florida. Thanks.

mel turner schreef
Sounds like _Enterolobium cyclocarpum_ or a close relative. Native
to Central America [presumably and exotic in Florida]. It becomes
leafless during the dry season in its native haunts.

http://www.winrock.org/forestry/fact...Enterolob.html

http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu/Trial_Sp...Heteromyidae/L
iomy s_salvini_Home_Page/English_Text/E_cyclocarpum_adlt_Eng.html
http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/AFRIS/Data/240.HTM
http://www.greendealer-exotic-seeds....casteTree.html

Yes, a good estimate.
Unfortunately the "or a close relative" includes many tree species!

Depends on how close is "close". By "or a close relative" I'd
really just meant related members of the same genus Enterolobium.
It seems there are a few other species also with strikingly
ear-shaped pods, and one or more of them are apparently in
cultivation [or introduced and escaped] in Florida.

In particular, Enterolobium contortisiliquum
["pacara earpod tree"] now sounds to me like the most
likely candidate:

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant...i?symbol=ENCO2
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/2316/
http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/main.asp?plantID=1330
http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/details.asp?plantID=1330
http://131.247.163.200/website/plant...p?plantID=1330
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/list/e.htm

but there are other species, at least some of which also have
earlike pods:
http://www.ildis.org/LegumeWeb/6.00/...pall_275.shtml
http://www.canopytower.com/treelist.html:

"Enterolobium schomburgkii "Jarina". Leguminosae.
Approx. 75 feet tall. [...] The fruit is a pod that is
long, flattened, curled and resembles a human ear. It
takes a year to mature."

I dug out my The Trees of Florida by Gil Nelson, which claims to be
complete. It lists neither Samanea saman (known widely as "monkeypod") nor
Enterolobium cyclocarpum.

It does list 6 Acacia, 2 Albizia, 1 Lysiloma and 2 Pithecellobium species.

I've also seen the species S. saman being classified in
Pithecellobium and in Albizia, as well as in Enterolobium
and various other genera.

http://www.ildis.org/LegumeWeb/6.00/taxa/158.shtml
http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.o.../asps/DisplayD
etail.asp?SpecID=3000

Quite a synomymy. But as far as I know neither it nor these others
you mentioned have the strikingly "human ear-shaped" pods that are
so characteristic of E. cyclocarpum.

Perhaps worth noting is that the only species that has bark details is
Lysiloma latisiliquum ("with light grey or whitish bark") and that further
details include "flat pod, 6-10cm, 2-4cm wide, usually remaining on the tree
throughout the year". Might be worth a look?

Sure, but I doubt that their pods are shaped like human ears.
[I just checked specimens of _Lysiloma latisiliquum_ in the
herbarium here; the pods are broad and flat but are not at
all ear-shaped]

E. cyclocarpum on the other hand is well-known for its very
earlike fruits, and as I recall it also has prominently gray
bark. I don't know about the bark of the other Enterolobium
species.

Of course if it is a roadside tree, anything is possible.
PvR

Right. It seems likely that this is another tropical
introduction, either planted or escaped from cultivation.
It sounds like they think E. contortisiliquum may be
becoming an invasive weed in Florida.

cheers

wrote...
While birding in West Central Florida today I found an unusual looking
tree with light grey bark, nearly empty branches and these peculiar brown
human-ear shaped "pods". Someone called them "monkeypods". I think the
"pods" were the only "vegetation" on the trees, which may have been empty
for the winter. Can anyone identify this tree for certain? I'm living in
Tampa Bay area of Florida. Thanks.

By "or a close relative" I'd
really just meant related members of the same genus Enterolobium.
It seems there are a few other species also with strikingly
ear-shaped pods, and one or more of them are apparently in
cultivation [or introduced and escaped] in Florida.

In particular, Enterolobium contortisiliquum
["pacara earpod tree"] now sounds to me like the most
likely candidate:

I've also seen the species S. saman being classified in
Pithecellobium and in Albizia, as well as in Enterolobium
and various other genera.
Quite a synomymy.

+ + +
This goes for many species in the Albizia / Pithecellobium group. There is
ample reason to be very glad that there is now an authoritive treatment by
Barneby and Grimes for the American species. Also very good to see the
well-known name Samanea saman kept alive!
+ + +

Of course if it is a roadside tree, anything is possible.
PvR

Right. It seems likely that this is another tropical
introduction, either planted or escaped from cultivation.
It sounds like they think E. contortisiliquum may be
becoming an invasive weed in Florida.

+ + +
Right. With Enterolobium contortisiliquum a recognised invasive species in
Florida (and reported from the Tampa bay area!) this becomes the shoo-in
favorite. If I interpret the picture in my book correctly it has whitish
grey bark.
PvR

I suggested Enterolobium when the thread started. I've lived in the Tampa Bay
area for over 20 years, and know from experience that Enterolobium cyclocarpum
is quite common, while no other tree with an ear-shaped pod is at all common in
this area. Indeed, I can't recall seeing ANY other species whose pod I'd liken
to a human ear, in this geographical area. So the probability is extremely
high that this is the tree in question. OTOH, obviously, it could be something
else, but not likely.

I would of course immediately have deferred to the expert on the spot, but
your posting did not make it to my server (actually also not to the archives
as far as I can see them). The vagaries of computers!
PvR

MMMavocado schreef

I suggested Enterolobium when the thread started. I've lived in the Tampa
Bay area for over 20 years, and know from experience that Enterolobium
cyclocarpum is quite common, while no other tree with an ear-shaped pod is
at all common in this area. Indeed, I can't recall seeing ANY other species
whose pod I'd liken to a human ear, in this geographical area. So the
probability is extremely high that this is the tree in question. OTOH,
obviously, it could be something else, but not likely.