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The Trumpet tree (Cecropia peltata) belongs to the family Cecropiaceae. It is a tall evergreen tree that is distributed from southern Mexico through Central America to northern South America, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. This tree is dioecious. This tree grows in lowland forests and disturbed areas, normally reaching 15-20 m tall. The leaves are large and palmately divided into 7-11 lobed. Male flowers are 1-1.5 mm long, are borne in spikes 10-60 cm long. The male inflorescence is enclosed in a spathe which splits open and drops off once the anthers mature. The female flowers are borne in paired spikes 3-5 cm long. The fruit, which is about 2 mm long, is an achene which is enclosed in a fleshy jacket and the seeds dispersed by birds. The species has been listed as one of the hundred worst invasive alien species.
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