About Trema micranthum (L.) Blume
Trema micranthum is a shrub or small pioneer tree that can reach 10 meters (33 feet) in height or more. Its leaves are egg-shaped, growing up to 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) long. The upper surface of the leaves is green, while the underside is covered in white, woolly pubescence. This species produces greenish-white flowers. Its fruits range in color from yellow to bright reddish, and reach up to 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) in diameter. Trema micranthum is known for its very fast growth rate; growth of up to 14 meters (46 feet) over two years has been recorded.
After slow-growing xalama was recently locally extirpated in San Pablito, Mexico, due to unsustainable harvesting driven by tourism, the Otomi people now use bark strips from Trema micranthum as a raw material to make handmade amate paper.
