Common Name: Espavé

General Information

Espavé is a very large tree with a broadly rounded or elongate crown; it generally grows up to 30 metres tall, with some specimens reaching heights of 40 metres or more. The bole can be free of branches for up to 18 metres, up to 200cm in diameter and with some basal swellings but no well-developed buttresses[, , ].
Its edible seed is gathered from the wild for local use, whilst the timber and bark fibre are also exploited. Owing to its abundance and large size, the timber of espavé is frequently sold in markets in Panama and is sometimes exported[, ].

Known Hazards

The plant contains toxic oils and the raw seed is poisonous[].
The pounded bark is used to stupefy fish[].
The leaves of this species are not toxic[].

Botanical References

Range

Northern S. America - Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, north through Central America to Honduras.

Habitat

A tree of secondary forest and disturbed areas, especially frequent along the sides of streams and sometimes forming pure stands[]. Young plants are seldom found in mature woodland, needing sunlight to thrive[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of low to moderate elevations in the dry to wet tropics, where it can be found from near sea level to 1,300 metres[]. It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature is within the range 21 - 27°c[]. Very tolerant of rainfall levels, succeeding where the mean annual rainfall can range from 500 - 4,500mm, with or without a distinct dry season[].
Grows in the wild in a variety of situations including waterlogged areas near streams, on light clay or sandy soils with a pH ranging from acidic to neutral[].

Edible Uses

The nut is toasted and consumed locally[]. The roasted seeds taste like cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale)[]. The raw nut is poisonous[].

The enlarged and fleshy receptacle, in which the fruit is embedded, is smaller than that the cashew apple; it is S- shaped, 5 - 20mm long and edible[, ]. There is a hint of strawberry in the flavour[].
The fruit, although resembling cashew, is not edible[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

A natural pioneer species in its native range, it is of possible use as a pioneer species for re-establishing woodland[].

Other Uses

A fibre, known as Mijugua fibre, is obtained from the bark[].

The heartwood is brown to dark brown or reddish, tinged with yellow; it is clearly demarcated from the narrow band of light brown sapwood. The texture is medium to coarse; the grain is invariably interlocked with a pronounced stripe; the lustre is high; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The wood is moderately soft; light in weight, though strong; and moderately durable, being moderately resistant to fungi and dry-wood termites but susceptible to insect attack. It is moderately difficult to air-dry, with a somewhat variable drying rate, and pieces that dry quickly tend to warp and check. It is rated poor in planing and sanding properties, good in shaping and mortising, and fair in turning and boring; chipped grain and fuzzy surfaces are the most common machining defects. The wood has many uses, including for construction, tools, furniture, kitchen utensils and boxes[, , , ]. It can be used as a substitute for mahogany[]. It is used traditionally for making dugout canoes[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a limited viability and so is best sown as soon as it is ripe. Germination can be improved by pre-treating the seed with boiling water - the water should be taken away from the stove before the seeds are added, and the seeds left in the water for only 10 minutes[]. Another possibility is to soak the seeds in cold water for 12 hours[].
The seed can be sown directly in situ or in polytubes. For direct sowing, 1 - 2 seeds are sown in each hole[].

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