Description: A medium-sized tree, usually with a straight, cylindrical trunk. Outer bark dark gray, inner bark dark red. Leaves are simple, opposite, pointed at the tip, rather narrow; on young stems, each successive leaf pair is perpendicular to the previous pair. Leaves turn yellow as they age, and large crowns usually have a few yellow leaves. The petiole is short and covered in fine hairs, and the small, triangular stipule is also hairy.

Reproduction: The flowers are yellow, with small petals that lean outward, produced from June to August (see LK bryscr B. crassifolia). LK2 Fruits also resemble those of B. crassifolia -- round, 1-2 cm, yellow -- but often have remnants of the flower's stigma attached at the top. They mature from August to November.

Distribution: Most frequent in wetter forests of outer Pipeline Rd, Sherman, and Santa Rita. But also appears sporadically even close to the Pacific coast. Never common and not well known; unlike the closely related B. crassifolia, it is not seen in farmland or along roads.

Similar Species: The abundant LK bryscr nance, B. crassifolia, LK2 has similar fruits, but the leaves are much different, and the two are not confused. At a distance, LK micobo Miconia minutiflora LK2 can be confused, since it has opposite leaves of similar size and shape to B. spicata, but the venation is much different.

Uses: Although the fruit is edible, it is rather sour and not nearly as popular as the fruit of B. crassifolia. The bark of B. spicata is rendered to produce tannins that are used in curing hides.

Descripción: Árbol de 10 a 30 m de alto. Tronco recto y cilíndrico. Corteza exterior gris o negra. Corteza interior roja. Ramitas terminales simpodiales y con pelos ferruginosos. Hojas simples y opuestas, de 5-15 x 2-4 cm, oblongas o elípticas, con ápice acuminado, bordes ondulados y base decurrente. Estípulas axilares. Pecíolo de 0.8-1.5 cm de largo y ligeramente acanalado en la parte superior. Flores amarillas. Sépalos con un par de glándulas en la base. Frutos en drupas globosas, de 0.7-1.5 cm de largo, verdes, tornándose amarillos o anaranjados al madurar. Los frutos presentan restos de los estilos y los estigmas de la flor en la punta y restos del cáliz en la base.

Datos Ecológicos: La especie crece a bajas y medianas elevaciones, en bosques húmedos o muy húmedos. En Panamá se encuentra en las provincias de Bocas del Toro, Coclé, Colón, Darién, Panamá y la comarca de Guna Yala. Común en bosques lluviosos del Caribe en Panamá, pero raro o ausente en bosques secos del Pacífico. Florece y fructifica de junio a noviembre.

Especies Parecidas: A menudo se confunde con LK byrscr Byrsonima crassifolia LK2 y LK byrsc1 Byrsonima crispa LK2 , pero en B. crassifolia y B. crispa las hojas son de mayor tamaño y no presentan los bordes ondulados como ocurre en B. spicata.

Usos: La madera es empleada en la fabricación de cajas, cajones, formaletas, carpintería y ebanistería. La corteza contiene tintes y taninos, se utiliza para curtir y teñir pieles. Los frutos maduros son comestibles, pero un poco ácidos.

Tree, to 22 m tall, the trunk to 40 cm dbh; outer bark thin, light brown, with many minute fissures; inner bark brownish-red, moderately thick, the sap lacking odor; young parts ferruginous, appressed-pubescent. Stipules narrowly triangular, ca 3 mm long; petioles to 8 mm long; blades oblong-elliptic, acuminate, acute and decurrent at base, 5-10 (14) cm long, 1.5-3 (4.5) cm wide, glabrate or sparsely pubescent below and on midrib above in age. Pseudoracemes terminal, 6-10 cm long; pedicels 4-8 mm long; flowers many, ca 1.5 cm diam, yellow; sepals to 2 mm long, lobed, glandular, the glands 10, oblong-obovate, yellow, the lobes curved outward at apex; petals subequal, +/- orbicular, concave, clawed, 4-6 mm diam, subentire, 1 petal flat and somewhat more erect than the others; stamens 10, in 2 series, nearly erect, 3-3.5 mm long; filaments pubescent, nearly as long as anthers; anthers introrse, the connective swollen, somewhat prolonged at apex; styles 3, narrowly pointed, distinct, slightly longer than stamens, persisting in fruit. Drupes +/- globose, ca 10 mm diam, glabrous, green to yellow or yellow-orange at maturity; pyrenes 3. Croat 11133.