Some botanists treat this taxon as a synonym of Aspidosperma album[].

Common Name:

General Information

Aspidosperma desmanthum is a tree that can grow 10 - 30 metres tall. The bole can be 30 - 60cm in diameter[].
The tree is a source of the timber 'araracanga', and is commonly harvested from the wild for export.

Known Hazards

The freshly cut wood and sap of Aspidosperma species causes irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, with general malaise[].
The sawdust, on contact with abraded skin, produces local burning and a vesicular eruption with general symptoms of muscular weakness and cramps, sweating, dryness of the mouth, and faintness[].
Once the wood is thoroughly dry it loses its toxicity unless polishes or dyes in organic solvents are used on it[]

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The tree is a source of the timber 'araracanga'[]. We do not have any specific information for this species, but a general description of araracanga timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is vermillion or deep reddish brown, sometimes with large pink veins, and constitutes about two-thirds of the bole; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 8cm wide band of almost white to light brown sapwood[]. The texture is medium; the grain straight or interlocked. The wood is very heavy, very hard and very durable when in contact with the soil, being very resisant to fungi and dry wood borers, and moderately resistant to termites. It is somewhay slow to season, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is poorly stable in service. It has a fairly high blunting effect and is hard to work - power tools that are stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but pre-boring is required; gluing is correct for interior purposes only. The wood has various applications, being used for purposes such as heavy bridges, railroad ties, house posts, heavy carpentry, industrial flooring, hydraulic works in fresh water etc[].

Propagation

Seed -

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