Opposite-leaved Lozanella (Lozanella enantiophylla)

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Lozanella enantiophylla: Guide to the Opposite-Leaved Lozanella

Thriving across the wet forests of Central and South America, Lozanella enantiophylla is a neotropical woody plant of botanical significance. This species occupies moist montane habitats ranging from southern Mexico down to Bolivia.

Originally described as Trema enantiophylla by John Donnell Smith in 1902, it was later recombined into the genus Lozanella by Killip and Morton in 1931. It represents a key component of highland cloud forest ecosystems.

Taxonomy

∟ царство Plantae
∟ division Tracheophytes
∟ subdivision Spermatophytes (Seed plants)
∟ Angiosperms
∟ mesangiosperms
∟ eudicots
∟ Superrosids
∟ rosids
∟ order Rosales
∟ family Cannabaceae (Hemp family)
∟ genus Lozanella (Lozano's nettle-tree)
∟ species Lozanella enantiophylla (Opposite-leaved Lozanella)

Morphology

This species is characterized by its opposite, simple leaves with finely serrated margins and pointed tips. The leaves are typically scabrous (rough to the touch) on the upper surface and pubescent along the veins underneath.

Flowers are unisexual, minute, and arranged in axillary cymes on dioecious individuals. The resulting fruits are small drupes that serve as a food source for native forest birds.

Interesting facts

The specific epithet enantiophylla derives from Greek roots meaning 'opposite leaves,' emphasizing this critical diagnostic trait. This feature clearly separates the genus from its close relative Trema, which bears alternate leaves.

Taxonomic history reveals that the genus Lozanella was established in 1905 by Jesse More Greenman, who described Lozanella trematoides, a taxon now recognized as a synonym of this species.

Geography of distribution

Mexico
Guatemala
Honduras
El Salvador
Costa Rica
Panama
Colombia
Venezuela
Ecuador
Peru
Bolivia

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO): Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
World Flora Online (WFO): Lozanella enantiophylla database
Tropicos: Missouri Botanical Garden
GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility

Technical Information

External Databases: GBIF, POWO, Tropicos

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Opposite-leaved Lozanella (Lozanella enantiophylla)