Cecropia (Plant)
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(Redirected from Cecropia)
- This article is about the tropical plant. It is also an old name for the Acropolis, Athens
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| Image:Cecropia obtusifolia starr 12.jpg Cecropia obtusifolia | ||||||||||||
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About 25 species, including: |
Cecropia is a genus of about 25 species of trees in the nettle family Urticaceae. They are native to tropical South and Central America, where they form one of the most recognisable components of the rainforest, easily identified by their large, circular palmately lobed leaves about 30-40 cm diameter, deeply divided into 7-11 lobes.
In the past they were commonly classified in their own family the Cecropiaceae or in the mulberry family Moraceae, but recent genetic evidence has shown they are within the Urticaceae.
The genus is named after King Cecrops I, first King of Athens.
