Common Name:

General Information

Lacmellea panamensis is an evergreen tree with a thick but narrow, bright green crown; it can grow 15 - 20 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 45cm in diameter, armed with broad-based, conical thorns. The bole of larger trees can have low, rounded, short buttresses. The bole is frequently covered by colonies of blue-grey lichens[].
The trees are harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of latex and wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Ecuador, Colombia; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua

Habitat

An understorey or subcanopy tree, growing on well-drained soils in a range of conditions but mainly in the deep shade of dense, primary forest[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Butterflies, Hawkmoths
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant has a main period of flowering, but also flowers sporadically throughout the year. The fruits ripen slowly and sporadically, with a few falling to the ground sporadically thoughout the year as they become fully ripe[].
All parts of the plant exude a thick white latex when broken[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The fruit is a yellow, spherical berry around 4cm in diameter, containing 2 seeds[].

The latex has been used as a milk substitute in coffee[].

Medicinal

The latex is used as a galactagogue to promote milk production in nursing mothers[].

Other Uses

We have no specific information for this species, but the latexes of several South American species of Lacmellea have been used as chewing gum, as an additive to rubber, and as a milk substitute in coffee[].

The wood is hard and of fine quality. It has many uses[].

Propagation

Seed -

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