Oreopanax incisus

Native to Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, it is a tree of moist montane and secondary Andean forests. In Colombia it also occurs in Orinoquía. Its leaves can be deeply divided into five to seven lobes. The fragrant white to cream or yellowish flowers are grouped in heads within branching clusters at the ends of stems. Each flower has five petals and five stamens. The fruit becomes dark purple when ripe and contains an average of four seeds. Birds eat the fruits and disperse the seeds. The species is used for timber, handicrafts and ecological restoration. Photographed in the eastern Andes mountain range of Colombia.