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Useful Tropical Plants

Amyris balsamifera

L.

Rutaceae

+ Synonyms

Elemifera balsamifera (L.) Kuntze

Common Name: Balsam Torchwood

Amyris balsamifera
Inflorescence
Photograph by: O. M. Montiel
Creative Commons License

General Information

Balsam torchwood is an aromatic, evergreen shrub or small tree growing from 2 - 8 metres tall.
The tree is harvested from the wild for its essential oil. It has been cultivated for its oil and wood in several tropical countries outside its native range[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

S. America - Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras; Caribbean - Puerto Rico to Cuba; N. America - Florida.

Habitat

Coastal hammocks in Florida[
72
Title
Manual of the Southeastern Flora.
Publication
 
Author
Small J.K.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
University of N. Carolina Press.
Year
1933
ISBN
 
Description
Getting rather dated now, an immense work covering the flora of Southeastern N. America. No pictures, it is not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Height4.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Amyris oil, extracted from the wood by distillation, is used for medicinal purposes[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

Other Uses

An essential oil is obtained from the wood[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. Amyris oil, extracted from the wood by distillation, is used to make perfume and varnish[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

The wood, or the essential oil, is used as an incense[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

The wood is used for building purposes[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. The wood is used for making furniture[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-08. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Amyris+balsamifera>

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