Rosas Dominicana
Rosas dominicana is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the Dominican Republic. It is known for its fragrant flowers, which have a fruity scent, and leaves that are shiny, green, and thick. It is often used in traditional medicine in the Dominican Republic and other parts of the Caribbean.
The main threats to this plant include habitat destruction, degradation and fragmentation from urban development and agricultural practices; human-induced anthropogenic disturbances; competition with nonnative species for space, light and water; and natural or manmade events, such as hurricanes (USFWS 2014, p. 1).
This plant is found in mountain and coastal forests, on sloping to moderately steep hillsides at elevations up to 500 m (1640 ft), and in pastures. It grows in sandy and clay soils and in rocky areas.
It is a slow-growing tree with a broad, irregular crown and a dense, closed canopy that tends to be sparsely branched (Breckon and Kolterman 1993, p. 19). It is hermaphrodite and produces a short flowering period during the beginning of the rainy season, followed by fruit production until November.
The current population size of this plant is limited to two individuals on protected lands (Laguna Cartegena National Wildlife Refuge and PLN conservation easement) in Sierra Bermeja, southwest Puerto Rico, with no evidence of natural recruitment. Private landowners continue to impact the habitat through activities such as clearing new roads on their properties and conversion of forested lands into pasture (Pacheco and Monsegur-Rivera 2017, pers. obs.). Carmen de la Rosa emigrated from La Republica Dominicana as a child to Inwood, and has been an advocate for social justice since 2016. She is a progressive Democrat who fights against racism, xenophobia and economic injustice. Her policy platforms include criminal justice reform, workers’ rights, truly affordable housing and protections for tenants, climate justice, taxing the wealthy, and LGBTIA rights. Rosas dominicana