Common Name:

General Information

Eschweilera pedicellata is an evergreen tree with a fairly long, heavy, narrow oval crown; it can grow up to 30 metres tall[, ]. The moderately well-formed bole is often somewhat fluted or slightly buttressed; it can be unbranched for 12 - 18 metres and is usually 40 - 50cm in diameter, exceptionally to 100cm[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. The timber is highly resistant to decay and is harvested commercially and exported.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas.

Habitat

Fairly common along the sides of creeks and in rainforests, also on slopes, at elevations of 500 metres or more[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Seed[].

Medicinal

Sap from the rasped and burned bark is squeezed onto a type of skin sore known to the Surinam Tirio as 'ukogo'[].

A decoction of the boiled seeds is drunk as a treatment for stomach-ache[]. The seed is eaten in order to induce hunger in people who have lost their appetite[].

Other Uses

The heartwood, when first cut, is greenish yellow to olive brown, turning a brownish buff upon drying - black streaks are occasionally present. The creamy-tan sapwood is 4 - 11cm wide, it is not well differentiated from the heartwood when freshly cut, but becomes more apparent when seasoned. The grain is straight; texture uniformly fine. The wood is extremely heavy, extremely hard, dense, tough and strong, though, except for shock resistance in which it is outstandingly high, the unseasoned (green) wood is average or below average in strength for a wood of its density[]. Bearing strength across the grain is particularly low[]. Unlike most tropical hardwoods, however, it improves substantially in strength during seasoning[]. Untreated wood is resistant to very resistant to decay, tests have shown a life expectancy of 15 - 30 years in permanent contact, with the soil, or 40 - 50 years when exposed to the elements[]. It is particularly noted for its high resistance to marine borers, there are records of wood 50 years old being perfectly sound and as hard as nail and quite untouched by teredo[, ]. The wood contains a high percentage of silica, up to 2.43% based on the oven-dry weight of the wood[]. This makes it difficult to work. It is also difficult to glue but takes a good finish. Cutting edges are quickly dulled by the silica and the wood's inherent hardness, but when knives are kept sharp a slate-smooth surface is obtained. Rammer caps are required when driving manbarklak piling, because of the ease in which it splits[]. Because it has very good resistance to marine borers, the wood is especially suited for use in both temperate zone and tropics in marine construction, especially for marine piling. Good strength properties and high resistance to wear or abrasion make the timber well suited for ice sheathing for boats, factory flooring, shoe keels for landing boats and beaters and bed plates in pulp mill equipment. It is also used locally for house framing, mine lagging, railway ties, and posts. The timber is especially useful where good decay and termite resistance is essential[].

Propagation

Seed -

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