Common Name: Sandpaper tree

General Information

Curatella americana is a semideciduous tree with a dense, rounded crown, that usually grows 6 - 10 metres tall. It has a short, thick bole that is usually crooked; it can be 40 - 50cm in diameter[, , ].
The plant is harvested from the wild as a local source of food, medicines and various commodities. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant in central America and is occasionally planted for its edible fruits and seeds[].

Known Hazards

The fruits have glandular hairs that contain allergic principles. Handling the fruits has been known to cause severe skin irritations in some people[].

Botanical References

Range

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

Habitat

Chiefly on dry open or brushy hillsides, often on pine-clad slopes, at elevations below 1,200 metres in Guatemala[]. Savannahs and savannah forests[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	5.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a sunny position[]. Succeeds in fairly dry soils[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
A slow-growing tree[].

Edible Uses

The seeds are used for flavouring chocolate[].

Fruit[].

Medicinal

The bark is sedative[]. A decoction of the macerated bark is drunk in order to prevent ulcers and to treat jaundice and hepatitis[].

An infusion of the leaves is used as an astringent[].

Other Uses

The bark is used for tanning[, ].

The leaves contain much silica and have a hard, rough surface. They can be used as a substitute for sandpaper to clean or polish articles of wood or metal.[, , , ].

The heartwood is reddish-brown; the narrow band of sapwood somewhat lighter. The wood is cross-grained; coarse; moderately heavy to moderately light; hard to moderately soft; and very durable even when exposed to the elements[, , ]. It is hard to work; difficult to split; and does not take a good polish. It is used for cabinet work, furniture making, making saddle frames, fence posts etc[, , , ].
The wood is used for fuel and is made into charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed. A low germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed sprouting within 10 - 20 days[]. When the seedlings are 5 - 7cm tall, pot them up into individual containers[]. The seedlings grow slowly[].
The seed has a short viability of less than 4 months in storage[].

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: what is greater, 5 or 9?