There are some trees you probably shouldn't hug. Couroupita guianensis is one such example. You definitely don't want to risk standing on the base of one at any point. What looks like a vine covering the trunk of each tree is actually the reproductive structure of this species. Beautiful flowers give way to heavy seed pods,giving the tree its common name, cannonball tree.Native to Central and South America, as well as parts of the Caribbean,this tree's distinctive flowers are borne on long stalks that extend just beyond the trunk.It is known as "cabbage". Trees like these can cause you to do a double take.

In fact, it is strange to see flowers on the stem rather than the tips of the branches. It is likely that this type of flower evolved as a form of resource allocation. Instead of fleeing to pollinators or seed dispersers in the canopy, Trees such as guanensis may select for them at lower levels in the forest where competition may be less.In the case of the main pollinators are carpenter bees. The exotic flowers do not produce any nectar,however,they do offer plenty of pollen to make up for it.The strangest aspect is that two different types of pollen are produced.

Each flower has two sets of anthers, one set forming a ring in the center of the flower and the other set at the tip of the petal which is bent inwards and forms a hood. Furthermore, the pollen grains produced by each set differ in appearance with ring pollen being white and small and hood pollen being yellow and larger. As it turns out,hood pollen is mostly sterile while ring pollen is fertile. When a bee lands on a flower head in search of pollen, it is attracted to the large grains. When it collects pollen from the hood, its body is pushed against the pollen ring,which is carried to the next flower, where the process is repeated and the flower is fertilized.

After fertilization, large capsules are produced that resemble coconut or coconut balls. A member of the Brazil nut family, these capsules can measure upwards of 8 inches in diameter and are filled with pulp and seeds. Each capsule eventually falls from the tree, opening as it hits the ground. Capsules can be so large and heavy that anyone unlucky enough to be standing under one when it falls can be killed by the impact. The pulp inside is said to have a rather horrible smell, which is attractive to various seed dispersers around the forest.

As well as peccaries, large rodents such as pikas eat the seeds, which germinate fairly well after passing through their intestines.Couroupita guianensis has been planted far outside its natural range for various reasons. It is likely that anyone visiting a botanical garden in the tropics will see one of these strange trees. Any gardener will be worth their weight in keeping this tree off sidewalks.This is a breed that is by far the most loved. Other than surviving a head-crushing blow from one of those seed capsules, this is a tree that must be seen in its entirety to be truly appreciated.