Clusia uvitana: A Tree-Inhabiting Tree with CAM Photosynthesis

Clusia uvitana Pittier, which is a rather common hemiepiphytic tree on Barro Colorado Island, has been the focal species of a considerable number of studies. The particular interest in this species mostly stems from its use of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), a remarkable feature for a dicot tree. The most important findings of these studies are presented, including the flexible use of nighttime and daytime carbon dioxide uptake and the consequences of CAM for plant water and nutrient relations as well as for whole-plant hydraulic architecture. Complementing the results of these ecophysiological studies, I also report some observations related to its general ecology (e.g., its establishment in tree crowns) and to manifold interactions with the local fauna.