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Plants of Tisey
Natural Flora
Cool Top lies at the heart of the Tisey- Estanzeula reserve situated an area of outstanding unspoilt natural beauty. There are 50 acres of pine forest on the higher parts of the estate at around 1300 metres with Pinus oocarpa and Pinus maximinio dominating.
These are mixed at a slightly lower altitude with stands of impressive Roble (Quercus segoviense) and Encino oaks(Quercus sapotifolia) as you descend through the property.
At slightly lower elevations in a drier more tropical environment where hardwoods thrive, dominant species that can be seen include Capulín (Trema micrantha), Coal (Acacia pennatula) , Guácimo (Guazuma ulmifolia), Guanacaste white (Albizia caribaea), Majagua (Heliocarpus appendiculatus).
Riverine species at the lowest altitudes on the estate are different again and some species like the Ingas, Ficus sp. and Cecropia are truly tropical in look.
160 species have been recorded in the area and include the following forms trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, ferns, orchids and epiphytes. This is mainly concentrated into 57 botanical families, where Staphyllaceae, Sterculiaceae, Styracaceae, Symplocaceae, Thymeliaceae, Tiliaceae, Ulmaceae and Urticaceae are present in only one species. Whereas Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Moraceae each have 7 species and euphorbiaceae 10 species.
The Mimosaceae has 13 species and plays a very important ecological role, to judge by the diversity of species that are found in this group. Species such as Cornizuelo (Acacia collinsii), Coal (Acacia pennatula), Quebracho (Acacia angustisima), Hawthorn (Acacia farnesiana) Calliandra species are associated with highly fragmented oak and pine forests , Ingas associated with channels and creeks and Mimosas predominate in association with pine and oak.
Epiphytic tree hugging Orchid species can be seen flowering and terrestrial and epiphytic fern species grow everywhere throughout the estate. The air is un-polluted allowing colourful lichens and mosses to grow on rocks and trees adding more interest to an already fascinating botanical landscape.
Many fungi species thrive on dead and decaying plant material in the woodland environment.
