Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • Australia
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. Australia
  3. 2022
  4. November 27
  5. Cecropia leaf, Mexico
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Cecropia leaf, Mexico

November 27, 2022

Cecropia leaf, Mexico

© Gerry Ellis/Minden Picture

Cecropia leaf, Mexico

Today we’re in a Mexican rainforest to examine a large Cecropia leaf and some lobster claw petals. The genus called Cecropia contains some of the most recognisable neotropical trees anywhere, but the roughly 50 different species can be hard to distinguish. All Cecropias grow fast. On average, they’ll climb to almost a metre per year and under perfect conditions can grow as much as three metres in that time. Not only are Cecropias very popular with animals like sloths, monkeys and toucans for their fruit and leaves, many species have a symbiotic relationship with Azteca ants. The Cecropias provide shelter and food for the ants, and the ants in turn defend the trees from plant-eating predators.

The other striking leaves here are cup-shaped flower petals of the lobster claw, or what botanists call the Heliconia rostrata. With its bright colours and distinctive shape, the lobster claw is often cultivated as an ornamental plant for tropical gardens. Gardeners looking to attract birds love the Heliconia because its plentiful nectar draws hummingbirds to its downward-facing flowers. Those same flowers have special recognition in Bolivia as “patujú”, the national flower, which appears on one of the country’s flags.

leaf plant

Related Images

Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross, ScotlandAberfeldy, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Poinsettia plantsPoinsettia plants
Bamboo, Guwahati, Assam, IndiaBamboo, Guwahati, Assam, India
Last Dollar Road, Telluride, Colorado, USALast Dollar Road, Telluride, Colorado, USA
Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, New ZealandMilford Sound/Piopiotahi, New Zealand
Young giant sequoia, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, USAYoung giant sequoia, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, USA
Fiddlehead fern fronds, Quebec, CanadaFiddlehead fern fronds, Quebec, Canada
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, USAPrairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, USA

Today on Bing

Pen y Garreg dam, Elan Valley, Wales

Pen y Garreg dam, Elan Valley, Wales

Nov 27, 2021
Partly snow-covered slope in Val Cervara, an old-growth beech forest, in Abruzzo, Italy

Partly snow-covered slope in Val Cervara, an old-growth beech forest, in Abruzzo, Italy

Nov 27, 2020
Las Catedrales beach, Galicia, Spain

Las Catedrales beach, Galicia, Spain

Nov 27, 2019
Looking out to Godrevy Lighthouse in St Ives Bay, Cornwall, England

Looking out to Godrevy Lighthouse in St Ives Bay, Cornwall, England

Nov 27, 2018
Rice terraces strung with lights, Wajima, Japan

Rice terraces strung with lights, Wajima, Japan

Nov 27, 2017

Related Tags

leaf plant tree outdoor fall autumn grass landscape nature forest green lush maple deciduous wooded flower sky ground park area
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
Download 4K Ultra HD
Download 5895x3316
  • © 2023 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.