# autograph tree

*Clusia rosea*

Its thick, leathery leaves can be etched with a sharp object, leaving permanent, legible markings that remain for the life of the leaf.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Malpighiales › Clusiaceae › Clusia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Tropical forests, coastal cliffs, and rocky slopes
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (Photosynthetic, utilizing CAM photosynthesis)
- **Range:** Caribbean, Southern Florida, Central America, Northern South America
- **Size:** Height of 10 to 20 meters (30 to 65 feet) with a wide, spreading canopy
- **Lifespan:** 50 to 100 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation in its native range; conversely, it acts as an invasive threat in non-native ecosystems.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to touch, but the milky sap and green fruits are toxic. Avoid ingesting any part of the plant and wash skin immediately with soap and water if sap contact occurs to prevent irritation.

## About

Clusia rosea , the autograph tree , copey , cupey , balsam apple , pitch-apple , and Scotch attorney , is a tropical and sub-tropical plant species in the genus Clusia . The name Clusia major is sometimes misapplied to this species.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/d3407d3e-e866-49aa-88ec-7d97b40f7507
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/160760
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clusia rosea
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/107543738/medium.jpg (Forest and Kim Starr, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.