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Useful Tropical Plants

Protium icicariba

(DC.) Marchand

Burseraceae

+ Synonyms

Icica icicariba DC.

Common Name:

Protium icicariba
Fruiting branch
Photograph by: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil
Creative Commons License
Protium icicariba Protium icicariba Protium icicariba Protium icicariba Protium icicariba

General Information

Protium icicariba is a large, very elegant and very aromatic tree[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
].
The tree produces an edible fruit and seed. It is the source of a good quality resin, yields a timber and has various medicinal properties. The resin is sometimes exported[
64
Title
Vegetable Gums and Resins.
Publication
 
Author
Howes. F. N.
Publisher
Faber
Year
 
ISBN
81-88818-17-8
Description
A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitTree
Height0.00 m
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



Most, if not all, species in this genus are dioecious, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
745
Title
Novon Vol. 9
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden; Missouri.
Year
1999
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical publication with a main focus on publishing the names of new and renamed species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
]. Very aromatic, containing more than 10% sugars[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
].

The seed can be used as a substitute for olives[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
].

The seeds contain more than 25% oil of an edible oil[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
]. A clear oil, it has a nice flavour[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
].

Medicinal

The root bark is astringent, depurative and antisyphilitic[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
,
739
Title
Medicinal Plants of Brazil
Publication
 
Author
Mors W.B.; Rizzini C.T.; Pereira N.A.
Publisher
Reference Publications; Michigan.
Year
2000
ISBN
0-917256-42-5
Description
An extremely concise book, listing approximately 1,500 species and varieties of plants with their botanical name, common name in Brazil, regions in Brazil where the plant is found, a brief list of uses and any medically active compounds in the plant.
].

The leaves and the bark are used in the treatment of skin problems, including those caused by the parasitic worm filaria or the flea chigoe[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
].

A soft resin obtained from the tree is antirheumatic, haemostatic and stimulant[
739
Title
Medicinal Plants of Brazil
Publication
 
Author
Mors W.B.; Rizzini C.T.; Pereira N.A.
Publisher
Reference Publications; Michigan.
Year
2000
ISBN
0-917256-42-5
Description
An extremely concise book, listing approximately 1,500 species and varieties of plants with their botanical name, common name in Brazil, regions in Brazil where the plant is found, a brief list of uses and any medically active compounds in the plant.
]. It is used to soothe a toothache[
739
Title
Medicinal Plants of Brazil
Publication
 
Author
Mors W.B.; Rizzini C.T.; Pereira N.A.
Publisher
Reference Publications; Michigan.
Year
2000
ISBN
0-917256-42-5
Description
An extremely concise book, listing approximately 1,500 species and varieties of plants with their botanical name, common name in Brazil, regions in Brazil where the plant is found, a brief list of uses and any medically active compounds in the plant.
]. When mixed with the pigment from Bixa orellana, it forms an ointment that is useful as a preventative measure against skin inflammation in woodworkers caused by irritant timbers[
407
Title
BoDD (Botanical Dermatology Database)
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Brief notes on a very wide range of plants that have reports of causing harm to the skin.
].

Other Uses

A good quality resin is obtained from the stems[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
]. This species is said to produce the best resin in the genus, known as 'elemi du Brasil'[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
]. The resin contains 12.5% essential oil[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
].

The reddish-white wood is used in general construction, general carpentry, cabinet making etc[
461
Title
Diccionario das Plantas Uteis do Brasil
Publication
 
Author
Correa M.P.
Publisher
Imprensa Nacional; Rio de Janeiro
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
A massive work in 6 volumes giving details of the various uses of Brazilian plants.
].
We have no more information on the wood of this species, but a general description of the wood for tropical American members of this genus is as follows:-
The heartwood is brown or reddish-brown, sometimes with irregularly spaced darker brown lines; it is not always sharply demarcated from the pale buff to pinkish sapwood. The texture varies from rather fine to fairly coarse; grain straight to very irregular and interlocked; lustre is rather high; dry specimens are without any distinctive odour or taste. Silica is reported for some species. The wood is generally reported to have a low resistance to attack by decay fungi and is vulnerable to dry-wood termites; it has no appreciable resistance to marine borers. Reports on seasoning vary from fairly easy to air dry to moderately difficult. Logs should be debarked prior to sawing to avoid resin accumulation
on cutters and equipment. The dry wood works easily and rates fair to good in all operations; it cuts easily into veneers but tends to buckle on drying; some species are abrasive because of the silica content. The wood is used for purposes such as furniture, millwork, veneer and plywood, general construction, particleboard; it is a possible substitute for birch[
316
Title
Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607.
Publication
 
Author
Chudnoff. Martin.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin.
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Protium+icicariba>

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