Common Name:

General Information

Guarea kunthiana is an evergreen tree with a dense, oval crown; it can grow 4 - 30 metres tall, exceptionally to 50 metres in the Guyanas. The cylindrical bole can be 40 - 70cm in diameter and is buttressed[, , ]. The plant is often more shrub-like when growing at higher elevations[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and food, as well as for its timber, which is used locally and is traded. The plant is also probably used as a shade tree in coffee plantations.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Nicaragua; Carib -Windward Isles

Habitat

A tree of dense primary forests, found in most forest formations, though only near rivers in the drier regions[]. When growing at higher elevations, the plant is often shrub-like[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in full sun to moderate shade[]. Requires a moist soil[].

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

A cold water infusion of the bark is drunk as a treatment for malaria[]. Some people prepare the drink from the outer bark, while others prefer to use only the rasped inner bark[].

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

The wood is medium-textured, heavy, soft, with moderate mechanical properties and reasonably durable if kept dry. It is used for making floor boards, furniture and boxes[].
The wood is used for fuel[].
We do not have any more 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 - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A low germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 20 - 35 days[].

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