Editing Cecropia (section)

==Description==
The genus is easily identified by its large, circular, palmately lobed leaves, about 30–40&nbsp;cm in diameter and deeply divided into 7–11 lobes. The trees consist of very few branches, usually with candelabrum-like branching system.<ref name="BRD"/> In Costa Rica, three-toed sloths are often spotted easily in ''Cecropia'' trees because of their open, leafless branches compared to other trees. Berg and Roselli state, “Branch development is often initiated in seedlings, even in the axils of the first formed (opposite) leaves; prophylls are formed, and often the development of the first leaf begins but is arrested (if the seedling is not decapitated). In the axils of the leaves formed during later development, the axillary branch primordia do not produce more than one or two prophylls and a bud.” <ref name="BRD"/>{{rp|5}} The branches of ''C. garciae'' and ''C. hispidissima'' occur at a height of 0.6 to 1 m and the branches depart at acute angles.<ref name="BRD"/> In most species of ''Cecropia'', the branches depart at obtuse angles and the crown has a distinct umbrella shape.<ref name="BRD"/>

High variation is seen in the morphology of ''Cecropia'' species, but most form small to medium-sized trees, 5–15 m tall.<ref name="BRD"/> Although some species (''C. distachya'', ''C. herthae'', ''C. insignis'', and ''C. sciadophylla'') grow much taller, as large as 40 m, and some (''C. ulei'') rarely surpass 5 m.<ref name="BRD"/> The high degree of variation can be attributed to regional habitat differences and longevity.<ref name="BRD"/> 
The family [[Cecropiaceae]] is characterized by having adventitious roots, and in ''Cecropia'', they become stilt-roots, which are a common feature of large trees, especially living near rivers or marshes.<ref name="BRD"/> ''Cecropia'' spp. are usually full of vines, but not normally overgrown by them.<ref name="BRD"/> Most species have internodes that are hollow and contain whitish pith.<ref name="BRD"/> These internodes provide a nesting area for the ''[[Azteca (ant)|Azteca]]'' ants that inhabit the trees.<ref name="BRD"/>

When the branches are cut, they release a watery, often mucilaginous sap, which turns black when it is exposed to the air.<ref name="BRD"/> To prevent inhabitation by ants and occupation and damage by herbivorous insect larvae, the terminal buds and upper internodes are filled with mucilage.<ref name="BRD"/> Several species' leafy twigs are covered by a waxy layer, making them bluish.<ref name="BRD"/>

Berg and Rosselli describe in detail six types of trichomes that can be recognized on ''Cecropia'' and more information on each can be found in their paper.<ref name="BRD"/> They are:  thick [[unicellular]] hairs, thin unicellular hairs,  [[pluricellular]] [[trichome]]s, [[cystolith]] hairs, pearl glands (or [[pearl bodies]]), and Müllerian bodies.

Parts of the ''Cecropia'' such as the stipules, the spathes, and the main veins of the lamina have red-coloring substances.<ref name="BRD"/> The concentration of the substances varies, even within species, and some parts can be green, bluish, pale pink, dark red, dark purple, and even blackish.<ref name="BRD"/> The color may fade with age, and can be deposited equally or in patterns such as longitudinal stripes.<ref name="BRD"/>

The leaves of adult ''Cecropia'' species are large and [[peltate]], almost circular in circumference.<ref name="BRD"/> The lamina is attached to the [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]], the [[Leaf#Venation|venation]] is radiate, and the lamina is radially incised between the radiating main veins.<ref name="BRD"/> Variation is high in the number of lobes or leaf segments, ranging from five to more than 20.<ref name="BRD"/>

===Similar species===
''[[Pourouma bicolor]]'' is very similar in appearance to the ''Cecropia'', with its umbrella-shaped leaves, stilt roots, large leaves with wide lobes, and whitish color on the underside.<ref name="BRD"/> The distinctions between the two, however, are: the [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]] attaches at the base of the leaf rather than at the center of the leaf like ''Cecropia'' and ''Pourouma'' has leaf lobes that are triangular and pointed at the tip, whereas most ''Cecropia'' are rounded.<ref name="BRD"/>