The generic name has often been spelled Erythroxylon, especially in older literature[].

Common Name:

General Information

Erythroxylum suberosum is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 6 metres tall[]. Rarely it is only a small, subshrub just a few centimetres tall[].The bole can be up to 15cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is a source of tannins and dyestuff and, when large enough, is used in cabinet making.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean - Puerto Rico to the Bahamas.

Habitat

Thickets and forests on hills in the dry coastal and dry limestone regions of Puerto Rico[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is astringent[].

It is reported that the leaves contain a small amount of cocaine. This drug is more commonly obtained from the leaves of coca (Erythroxylum coca), a related species from the Andes of Peru and Bolivia[].

Other Uses

The bark is a source of tannins[].
A red-brown dye is obtained from the bark[]. It is used for dyeing woollen goods[].

The heartwood is rich reddish brown or chocolate brown, with an oily appearance; the sapwood is light brown . The wood is very fine-grained, very hard, heavy, strong, and highly durable. A very good quality wood, but generally only available in small sizes. Larger pieces are used for cabinet making and general carpentry[, ]. The plant is often too small to yield much timber[].

Propagation

Seed -

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