Common Name: Andiroba

General Information

Andiroba is a deciduous or semi-evergreen, monoecious, medium-sized to large tree growing up to 35, occasionally to 55 metres tall[]. The straight, cylindrical bole is usually 60 - 90cm in diameter, though specimens up to 180cm have been recorded[], The bole is usually buttressed, or basally swollen, for 60 - 90cm above ground, and can be unbranched for 9 - 27 metres[].
The oil from the seed is widely used as an effective mosquito repellent in S. America and the tree also yields a high quality timber. The tree is mainly harvested from the wild for its wood, oil and medicinal uses, though it is sometimes cultivated in S. America and some experiments have been carried out into growing it elsewhere[]. It is also sometimes planted as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Guatemala; Caribbean - Trinidad to Dominican Republic.

Habitat

A canopy or subcanopy layer element of lowland rainforest, sometimes in pure stands, preferring marsh edge, swamp forests, alluvial riverbanks and periodically flooded plains[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	35.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moister, lowland tropics, usually found at elevations below 700 metres but occasionally found as high as 1,000 metres[]. It grows in areas where the annual rainfall is above 3,000 mm and the temperature ranges between 20 - 35°c[].
Plants generally grow in moister soils and are tolerant of periodic flooding[]. They are moderately tolerant of shade, but full overhead light is required for fast growth[].
Young plants produce taproots but the trees tend to become surface rooted as they grow older[].
In South America, the tree showed a mean annual diameter increment of 1.6 - 2 metres in 25-year-old plantations.
In swamp forests, trees can reach felling size in 20 - 25 years; at higher elevations probably in 40 - 60 years[, ].
Flowering period depends heavily on the climate but is usually concentrated in one short period each year[]. Pollination is probably by insects; the trees are often found swarming with ants visiting extrafloral nectaries at shoot apices and leaflet tips[]. Usually only 1 - 2 fruits in an inflorescence mature in 8 - 12 months[].
A large tree may produce 750 - 4,000 seeds per year, but seed production may be almost zero in unfavourable years[].
The seeds float and are thus dispersed by water, but are also scatter-hoarded by agoutis and occasionally by pigs[].
Trees coppice freely and are resistant to fire[]

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark contains tannins and a bitter-tasting alkaloid, carapine. It is astringent, bitter and febrifuge[, ]. It is used internally in the treatment of malaria, stomach aches, diarrhoea, dysentery and rheumatism[, ].
The stem bark is used externally as a wash for treating a wide range of skin complaints including the spots of chicken pox and measles; eczema, ulcers, burns, wounds and sores[].

The leaves are boiled in water and used as a wash on itchy skin, wounds and persistent ulcers[, ].

A fruit rind decoction is taken orally for the treatment of fevers and intestinal worms[].

A cream-coloured, intensely bitter oil of high acidity and very unpleasant smell, called 'carapa oil', is obtained from the seeds[]. The oil is anti-inflammatory, demulcent and soothing[]. A decoction is taken orally in the treatment of hepatitis and tetanus[]. It is used to treat a range of pulmonary conditions including a hacking cough, bronchial tract discomforts and lung problems[].
Applied externally, it is used as a skin lotion and softener, especially for children with thrush and dried, cracked skin; and to treat a range of skin conditions including eczema, ringworm, running sores, pain, swelling and itching. It is applied three times daily to treat painful piles[]. It is rubbed on to a painful stomach and used to reduce pus-filled abscesses[]. It is mixed with anatta paste (Bixa orellana) and applied it to the hair and skin in order to repel mosquitoes, sand fleas, ticks, lice and other biting insects[]. A drop of the oil, combined with a drop of red lavender, is used to treat thrush in children[].

The grated nut is mixed with hot water, and drunk as a treatment for malaria, diarrhoea and dysentery, and to reduce excessive menstrual flow[]
Applied externally, the grated nut is mixed with palm oil and used as an analgesic for muscular aches and pains; as an antifungal; as a treatment for dry skin, sores and eczema; for relieving itches caused by measles and chicken pox[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is suitable for planting in schemes to restore fertility to soil[].

Other Uses

A non-drying oil obtained from the seed is used as a lamp oil and for soap and candle making[, , ]. The oil should not be consumed because it is poisonous[]. The seed contains up to 70% oil[].
The oil from the seed is used as an ointment for the skin and hair, where it protects against ticks, sandflies, eyeflies, mosquitoes and other insects.[, , ]. The oil is massaged into the scalp to promote strong, glossy hair[].
The oil has insecticidal properties[].

The bark contains 1 - 10% tannins[, ].

Foresters recognize two types of wood from this tree:-
Andiroba Vermelha, also known as 'Red' or 'Hill Crabwood' is derived from trees growing on higher, well-drained land. It produces a heavier wood of superior quality which does not float on water[].
Andiroba Branca, also known as 'White Crabwood', is derived from trees growing in swampy locations. The wood is lighter, of lower quality and does float on water[].
The heartwood is reddish-brown; it is not clearly demarcated from the 3 - 5cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or interlocked. The wood is moderately soft to moderately hard; strong; moderately tough; of medium weight, moderately durable with some resistance to fungi and termites, but susceptible to dry wood borers. It is somewhat slow to season, with a high risk of checking but only a slight risk of distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It works quite well with ordinary tools, though there are some difficulties in planing when the grain is interlocked; it has a slight tendency to split on nailing or screwing, so pre-boring is recommended; it glues well and polishes satisfactorily. The wood's main application is for high-quality furniture and cabinetwork, stairs and flooring, and as veneer for furniture, interior work and plywood. It is also used for masts, building material, boxes and crates, and as a substitute for okoumé (Aucoumea klineana) and walnut (Juglans regia). In Colombia, shoemakers prefer it for making shoe pieces[, , ].
The wood is suitable for the production of pulp and paper[].

Propagation

Seed - fresh seed germinates best, germination rates dropping if the seed dries out[]. The seed should be sown on the surface or shallowly covered in moist soil. Germination takes 19 - 21 days for fresh seed, this can be reduced to 6 - 7 days if the seed is scarified first[]. Germination rate of fresh seeds is often 100%[].
Early growth in the nursery is moderately fast, and seedlings may attain 0.5 m in the 1st year. The roots of 1-year-old seedlings are pruned at about 15 cm whilst the plant is still in the nursery bed; when new rootlets begin to develop, the plant is uprooted and planted out[]
Seed can only be stored for a short time, germination rates of 100% have been observed in 2 month old seed, but there was no germination after 3 months of open storage at 24 - 31C[]. No seeds survived following 7 months of storage in paper bags at 12 C, whereas viability is halved with fresh seeds sealed in polythene bags at this temperatures after 7 months[].
Large cuttings can be used when planted in swampy soil[].

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