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Useful Tropical Plants

Trichilia havanensis

Jacq.

Meliaceae

+ Synonyms

Moschoxylum cuneatum Turcz.

Moschoxylum odoratum (Andrews) A. Juss.

Portesia glabra Griseb.

Trichilia bakeri C. DC.

Trichilia davidsoniae Standl.

Trichilia donnell-smithii C. DC.

Trichilia jamaicensis C. DC.

Trichilia laevis Sessé & Moc.

Trichilia lehmannii C. DC.

Trichilia minor A. Rich.

Trichilia odorata Andrews

Trichilia oerstediana C.DC.

Common Name:

Trichilia havanensis
Drawing of the flowering stem
Photograph by: Hooker, W.J., Exotic Flora, vol. 2: t. 128 (1825)
Creative Commons License
Trichilia havanensis Trichilia havanensis Trichilia havanensis Trichilia havanensis Trichilia havanensis Trichilia havanensis

General Information

Trichilia havanensis is a shrub or a small tree growing up to 12 metres tall. The bole can be 20cm in diameter[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
The tree is harvested from the wild to make brushes and for its wood. The branches are sometimes employed as decorations in houses and churches[
369
Title
Flora of Costa Rica
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C.
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago
Year
1938
ISBN
 
Description
Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/

Range

Northern S. America - Venezuela, north to the Caribbean and through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Dry or moist thickets or mixed forest, often in second growth, at elevations up to 1,500 metres in Guatemala[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitTree
Height10.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



The foliage is fragrant.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is one of the numerous traditional 'remedies' for malaria[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Other Uses

Brushes can be made from bunches of the leaves tied to the end of a pole[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. These are used to brush coals and ashes from the large adobe ovens[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. The leaves are rather stiff and probably hold up better under heat than those of other plants[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. The use of the foliage of this species for this purpose seems to be common from Guatemala to Costa Rica[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

The yellowish wood is light, soft, very easy to work, not durable[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. It is suitable for making boxes and for general carpentry when protected from the weather. The wood is used traditionally for carving figures of dolls called 'chintas'[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Trichilia+havanensis>

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