Lacmellea panamensis (R. E. Woodson) Markgr.

Bosques muy húmedos, primarios o secundarios.

Distribucion en Costa Rica: Vertiente atlántica y zona Norte, pacífico central y sur, incluyendo las filas costeñas de Acosta, Puriscla, Quepos, Tarrazú y San Isidro. Elevaciones entre 0-700 m.
Distribucion General: Nicaragua a Colombia.

Árbol.

Árboles de 4 a 25 m de altura, glabro, tronco y ramitas generalmente con espinas. Hojas oblongas u oblongo a elípticas de (4,5) 6 a 14 cm por 1,5 a 6 cm, subcoriáceas o coriáceas, acuminadas, obtusas en la base, glabras, peciolo de 0,7 a 1,3 cm largo, esparcidamente glandular en las axilas. Inflorescencia cima corimbosa, axilar y opuesta, con pocas flores, pedúnculo de 4 a 8 mm de largo, pedicelo de 2 a 7 mm de largo, bracteolas ovadas, menos de 1 mm de largo; lóbulos del cáliz anchamente ovados, obtusos, de aproximadamente 1 mm de largo; corola hipocrateriforme, blanca o amarillo a crema http://darnis.inbio.ac.cr/FMPro?-db=imagenes3.fp3&key=37806&-img" > ( Ver fotografía) Autor: Reinaldo Aguilar), glabra, tubo de 1,7 a 2,4 cm largo por aproximadamente 1 mm de ancho, esparcidamente puberulento en el interior, expandido en la posición de los estambres, lóbulos oblicuamente oblongo a elípticos de 0,8 a 1,2 cm largo; estambres insertos, anteras de más o menos 4 mm de largo. Baya ovoide o subesférica de 2,5 a 3 cm de largo, amarilla o anaranjada al madurar; semillas de 2 a 4, elipsoidales, más o menos de 1 cm de largo.

Los frutos maduros pueden ser comidos y tienen agradable sabor. En Suramérica, se usa la savia del tronco de otras especies de este mismo género para endulzar bebidas y tes.

Localidad del tipo: Panamá. Area del Canal de Panamá:
Depositario del tipo: Holotipo, F.
Recolector del tipo:

Zschokkea panamensis Woodson, Trop. Woods 44: 22. 1935
Tree, 10-12 m. tall, essentially glabrous throughout; leaves firmly membranaceous to subcoriaceous, oblong-elliptic, 6-10 cm. long, 2-3 cm. broad, rather abruptly acuminate, obtusely cuneate at the base, the petioles 7-9 mm. long; inflorescence opposite-axillary, cymose, bearing 3-9 medium-sized white flowers, much shorter than the subtending leaves; calyx-lobes ovate-subreniform, broadly obtuse to rounded, 1-1.5 mm. long, minutely ciliolate; corolla salverform, the tube somewhat gibbous, 20-25 mm. long, about 1.5 mm. in diameter at the base, somewhat inflated at the insertion of the stamens, the lobes broadly and obliquely oblongelliptic, 7-8 mm. long, slightly spreading; stamens inserted near the orifice of the corollatube, included; berries subglobose, about 4r-4.5 cm. in diameter, containing 1-4 seeds.
Type locality: Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone, Panama. Distribution: Panama.

Lacmellea panamensis is a species of tree in the family Apocynaceae native to Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Ecuador. It is a medium-sized tree, with a straight trunk, that is scattered with conical spines that are rather blunt, a distinctive feature of the species. Its leaves are around 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long, spaced evenly along branches, simple in shape, dark green and if damaged produce a white latex. Their flowers are white and around 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long thin tubes and develop into yellow berries of 3 cm in diameter.

Its seeds weigh around 0.25 grams (0.0088 oz) and when they germinate the cotyledons remains underground, acting as an energy store. In an artificial experiment, 80% of seedlings were able to survive having their leaves removed, or being placed in deep shade (0.08% of full sunlight), making them relatively shade tolerant.

Lacmellea panamensis là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ La bố ma. Loài này được (Woodson) Markgr. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1941.