A Central American tree (Guazuma ulmifolia) whose bark and wood have been used traditionally for fiber and other purposes.
From Spanish/Nahuatl origin, possibly from Aztec language roots. The word entered English through trade and botanical documentation in colonial Central America.
The caulote tree produces fiber that Indigenous peoples spun into textiles centuries before Europeans arrived—it's one of those plants where sustainable harvesting practices had already been perfected by traditional cultures!
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