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Useful Tropical Plants

Tetragastris balsamifera

(Sw.) Oken

Burseraceae

+ Synonyms

Hedwigia balsamifera Sw.

Common Name:

Tetragastris balsamifera

General Information

Tetragastris balsamifera is an evergreen tree; it can grow 10 - 25 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 50 - 60cm in diameter[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
,
567
Title
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 8
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Government Printing Office; Washington.
Year
1905
ISBN
 
Description
Includes an article on the economic plants of Puerto Rico. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
848
Title
Tropix 7
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://tropix.cirad.fr/en
Publisher
CIRAD
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line guide to the timbers of 245 species of trees.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for use of its wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

S. America - Brazil; Caribbean - Haiti to the Virgin Islands.

Habitat

Little-disturbed forest in the lower mountain, moist limestone, and moist and dry coastal regions[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].

Properties

Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height20.00 m
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Requires a light to medium soil[
573
Title
Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening.
Publication
 
Author
Nicholson G. (Editor)
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
L. Upcott Gill; London.
Year
Not given
ISBN
 
Description
One of the major gardening dictionaries of the 19th century, it contains information on plants not found in modern works. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The species regenerates readily in the forest, grows rapidly, and is of good form[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
412
Title
Illustrated Guide to the Trees of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Pennington, T.D.; Reynel, C. & Daza, A.
Publisher
David Hunt; Sherbourne, England.
Year
2004
ISBN
0 9538134 3 6
Description
A very terse guide to the trees of Peru, managing to give basic guides to a large number of genera, with more detail on a few species in each genus.
].

Edible Uses

We have no specific information for this plant, but the fruits of Tetragastris species are generally red, opening at maturity to expose a stone with an edibe, sweet white covering that attracts animals like pacas, peccaries and tortoises, which disperse some seeds throughout the forest. Forest people snack on the white pulp when the stones fall[
757
Title
Fruit Trees and Useful Plants in Amazonian Life
Publication
Non-Wood Forest Products 20.
Author
Shanley P.; Cymerys M.; Serra M.; Medina G. (Editors)
Website
http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2360e/i2360e.pdf
Publisher
FAO, United Nations
Year
2011
ISBN
978-92-5-107007-9
Description
Quite a lot of information on a number of useful plants growing in the Amazon. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A balsamic resin is obtained from the tree[
567
Title
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 8
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Government Printing Office; Washington.
Year
1905
ISBN
 
Description
Includes an article on the economic plants of Puerto Rico. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. From the cracks in the bark and cuts made for this purpose exudes a white, very aromatic resin[
567
Title
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 8
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Government Printing Office; Washington.
Year
1905
ISBN
 
Description
Includes an article on the economic plants of Puerto Rico. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

The heartwood is light brown to orangey-yellow, sometimes with frequent small, black, resinous spots; it is clearly demarcated from the 4 - 6cm wide band of orange-yellow sapwood. Texture is fine; the grain interlocked; with a fragrant aroma. The wood is heavy, hard, tough, strong, of moderate elasticity, moderately durable, with resistance to attacks by fungi, dry wood borers and termites. The drying rate is normal to slow with a high risk of distortion or checking; once dry it is poorly stable in service. Sawing and machining are nore or less easy, but with a fairly high blunting effect - stellite-tipped sawteeth are recommended. Nailing and screwing are good, though pre-boring is necessary to avoid splitting; gluing is correct; Shaping, turning and sanding are good; mortising is excellent. The wood is used for industrial or heavy flooring, interior stairs, joinery, heavy carpentry, high-grade furniture, cabinet work, bridges etc[
447
Title
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1964
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
,
471
Title
Puerto Rican Woods. Agriculture Handbook No. 205
Publication
 
Author
Longwood F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington
Year
1961
ISBN
 
Description
Descriptions of 60 timbers from Puerto Rica.
,
848
Title
Tropix 7
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://tropix.cirad.fr/en
Publisher
CIRAD
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line guide to the timbers of 245 species of trees.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Tetragastris%20balsamifera>

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