There is some doubt over the validity of this name. Apparently, it was invalidly named back in 1824 when the name was first published, and should have been given the epithet 'guara' instead of grandifolia. In addition, some authorities are treating it as a synonym of Guarea guidonia (L.) Sleumer. For the time being, until the botanists make up their collective minds, it will be left here as Guarea grandifolia[].

Common Name:

General Information

Guarea grandifolia is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 50 metres tall. The bole can have buttresses up to 4 metres high[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of wood. The wood is probably traded and the tree is probably planted to provide shade in coffee plantations.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to southern Mexico.

Habitat

Locally abundant in upland rain and creek forests, especially on red, loamy soils and on bauxite[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	40.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The parts that are actually eaten are the funicle (the filamentous stalk that attaches the seed to the placenta) and the hilum (the part that attaches the funicle to the seed)[]. A mealy texture[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

We do not have any specific information for this plant, but many species in this genus are commonly planted in coffee plantations in order to provide shade[].

Other Uses

We do not have specific information for the wood of this species, but the following is a general description for the wood of this genus:-
The heartwood is pinkish to deep reddish-brown; it is distinct, but not sharply demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain rather straight; luster is rather low; green wood is aromatic but odour and taste are very mild or not distinctive in dry specimens. The heartwood has good resistance to dry-wood termites and is durable in the ground. The wood air dries slowly, but with only a moderate amount of warping and no checking. It saws and machines easily and well in all operations except boring, where there is a tendency to tear and crumble. It is used for making furniture, cabinet work, turnery, interior trim, joinery, ship construction (planking and trim), general carpentry, and decorative and utility veneer and plywood[].

Propagation

Seed -

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