Common Name:

General Information

Aspidosperma megalocarpon is an evergreen tree that can grow 7 - 30 metres tall. The bole can be free of branches for most of its height and 20 - 80cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. The wood, known as 'araracanga' is very strong and durable, it is commonly harvested from the wild and exported.
General habitat losses have been considerable in the last 50 years. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

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

Northern S. America - northern Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico.

Habitat

Lowland forest[]. Wet forests on mountains[]. Dense, dry forests, and also in river bottom forests[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bitter bark is used to make a concoction that is used in the treatment of malaria[].

Other Uses

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[, , , ].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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