Common Name:

General Information

Apeiba tibourbou is an evergreen tree with a flat, spreading crown, generally growing up to 15 metres tall but up to 25 metres in the Guyanas. The straight, cylindrical bole has small buttresses 60 - 90cm tall; it can be free of branches for more than half of its height and 30 - 70cm in diameter[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a source of wood and fibre.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyanas; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico.

Habitat

Amazonian forest and humid montane forest[]. Swamps and on dry hillsides[]. Dry or moist forest or thickets at elevations up to 1,200 metres[]. More common in secondary formations, is often found on cut-over or formerly cultivated land[, ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny position[].
Newly planted young trees establish well and grow away rapidly, easily reaching a height of 4 metres within 2 years from seed[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The flowers are used for medicinal purposes[]. They are antispasmodic[].

The leaves are mucilaginous[]. They are crushed, mixed with water and applied as a paste to the head to relieve headaches[].

The bark is mucilaginous[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A fast-growing tree, it is a natural pioneer in its native range and could be of use in reforestation projects[].

Other Uses

A tough fibre is obtained from the bark[, ]. It is in the form of a thin ribbon of coarse bast, similar to that produced from Tilia species, and capable of making coarse ropes, rude weaving into mats and similar manufactures[, ].

The wood is whitish, pale yellow or slightly greyish in colour, sometimes with a pinkish or greenish tint. There is little difference between the sapwood and the heartwood. The grain is straight; texture moderately coarse to coarse; lustre moderate; free of distinctive odour and taste; growth rings indistinct. The wood is very light in weight, soft and almost spongy, of low durability. It is very easy to season with no drying defects. Easy to work, it saws readily, but requires sharp edges to cut smoothly across the grain; due to its abundant parenchymatous tissue, the timber planes unevenly and polishes with difficulty; it takes nails and screws easily, but the holding power is not satisfactory. It is suitable for use as insulating panels, packaging and crating[, , , ]. It is used locally for making rafts and small boats[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a lightly shaded position in a nursery seedbed. Germination rates are usually low, with the seed sprouting within 15 - 20 days. Transplant the seedlings into individual containers when 3 - 5cm tall and they can be ready for planting out 4 - 5 months later[].

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?