Common Name:

General Information

Picramnia pentandra is an evergreen shrub or tree with relatively few, slender branches; it can grow up to 6 metres tall. The bole can be 10cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It can be used as a pioneer species for restoring native woodland and is grown as an ornamental in Forida and Cuba

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Colombia, Venezuela; Caribbean - Puerto Rico to Cuba and the Bahamas; SE N. America - Florida.

Habitat

Coastal hummocks, growing in both remnant forests and the more open secondary formations; at elevations up to 600 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	4.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the subtropics to tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 600 metres. It is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall can range from 750 - 2,400mm[].
Plants are moderately intolerant to shade, being able to grow under the canopy of low basal-area forests as well as in openings. Seedlings are apparently more tolerant of shade than adults, and are able to progress from the understorey into the canopy of low forests[]. They succeed in a wide variety of well-drained soils derived from most parent materials. They are usually not found on the most fertile sites (where competition is severe) or on the worst, such as eroded, rocky ridge tops[].
The plant has a slow to moderate rate of growth and usually lives from 30 - 60 years[].
Flowering can commence when plants are 150 - 200cm tall providing sufficient light is available. The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round in moist tropical climates[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A bitter tonic is made from the leaves and bark. It is used to treat fevers, anorexia, and stomach problems and as an
enema to treat for worms[, ].

Qualitative tests indicated the presence of antioxidants, phenols, terpenoids, and alkaloids in ethanol extracts of tissues[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A natural pioneer species, it invades logged land, old pasture and abandoned fields during the scrubby stage[]. It can be used in planting schemes for restoring native forests[].

Other Uses

The light-coloured wood is hard and heavy[]. It is little used, other than for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in containers or in a nursery seedbed. When sown fresh, without pre-treatment, there was a 100% germination rate, starting 14 days after sowing[]. Prick the seedlings out when they are large enough to handle, and plant out into permanent positions when 15 - 30cm tall.

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