Bunchosia cornifolia HBK
Malpighiaceae CEREZO
Common evergreen understory tree (7-15 m) favoring zones where insolation levels are high, like those found in forest light gaps and alongside beaches. This species is notable for its large annual crops of mealy-textured, red fruits that are sweet and good-tasting when ripe.
Description: Cerezo is a small tree – sometimes only a treelet – whose thin, straight trunk rarely reaches a maximum diameter of twenty centimeters. Contoured by shallow, curtain-like folds, the bole sports dark, vertical creases that divide it into parallel sections. Cerezo bark is pale tan or whitish in color and smooth. Long, thin branches trace arcing trajectories as they extend away from the bole and droop under their own weight. Though relatively few in number, these limbs create a single-layered crown of moderate density – the crown may be especially thick in trees growing where sunlight is intense. Leaves (14 by 5 cm) are bright green, glossy, simple, and opposite. Elliptical in shape, they taper abruptly to points at both extremes. The blades are often curled and are basically smooth, though a few small, fine hairs can be seen (and felt) along their surfaces.
Flowers (1.5 cm) are bright yellow and produced in axillary racemes measuring 10 cm in length. Of typical Malpighiaceae form, each possesses five green sepals; five narrow, widely separated petals; a central cluster of large stamens. Cerezo sepals are dominated by paired, rectangular glands and these thick structures form a bowl-like ring around the base of the flower. Copious quantities of blossoms are generated annually and over an extended period that lasts from March through October, with a peak in May. Fruits (3 cm) enlarge rapidly from the flower ovaries. Beginning green, they turn yellow and then orange before ripening a bright, cherry-red. These ovoid drupes possess a thin layer of mealy flesh that is edible, mildly sweet and hearty. A longitudinal crease divides the fruits into two, shallow lobes that belie the presence of two, green-brown seeds within. Each seed is more or less almond shaped and bears one flat side (corresponding to its place of contact with the other seed in the fruit). Extremely thin skinned, the seeds germinate rapidly upon reaching the moist forest floor – usually within two or three weeks. Fruiting occurs annually, though crop size varies from season to season, beginning in June and lasting through November.
Similar Species: Lophanthera hammelii is a tree of a similar stature, overall form, and leaf and flower arrangement. However, B. cornifolia‘s leaves are curled (Lophanthera‘s are not), and its nearly omnipresent flowers (present during 3/4 of the year) are yellow instead of pink. B. cornifolia also has a narrower crown. The fruits of the two species are not confusable.
Natural History: Cerezo flowers are pollinated by bees and insects. Its fruits are eaten and seeds dispersed by a variety of mammals and birds. Cerezo is a good example of a pioneer – or secondary forest – species since it requires large amounts of sunlight in order to prosper and it is one of the first trees to colonize an area after it has been disturbed. Bunchosia is apparently tolerant of salty environments, given its frequent close proximity to the coast.
Uses: Cerezo has sweet, pleasant tasting fruit that are produced in large quantities during the latter part of the year. Born on low as well as high branches, these brightly colored drupes are easily accessible to the knowledgeable hiker.
Distribution: In Manuel Antonio National Park, Cerezo is found along trail and beach sides (e.g. Lutz Road, ANEP Road). It is especially abundant at the end of Playa Espadilla Sur, where it merges with Punta Catedral. Bunchosia ranges from southern Mexico to Colombia and Ecuador.
Trees of Costa Rica's Pacific Slope 
