Candle tree

Description

Parmentiera cereifera, the candle tree, is a species of tree in the family Bignoniaceae. It is endemic to Panama, but it is also a commonly cultivated specimen in botanical gardens. This tree grows up to 6 meters tall. The oppositely-arranged leaves are each made up of three leaflets. They are borne on winged petioles up to 5 centimeters long. The flower is solitary or borne in a cluster of up to four. The five-lobed corolla is greenish white. The fruit is a taper-shaped berry up to 60 centimeters long. It is green, ripening yellow, and waxy in texture. The fleshy fruit is edible.