Common Name: Cow Tree

General Information

Brosimum utile is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 30 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 75 - 115cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its latex and timber. The latex can be used as a substitute for milk. The plant is cultivated in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia for its latex[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Amazon basin to Ecuador, north through Colombia and Venezuela to Costa Rica.

Habitat

Rainforests[]. Evergreen forest formations at elevations below 400 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

A nutritious, milky sap, or latex, flows out of incisions made in the bark[]. The nourishing white liquid, which is slightly viscous and resinous, is consumed like milk[, ]. It can also be used to create a 'cheese' that is made from the thread-like curds that form on the surface of the liquid when it is exposed to the air[].
The latex has been used as a base for chewing gum[].

The fleshy fruit with the nutritious seeds are eaten boiled and salted[].

Medicinal

The latex is used as an analgesic and is drunk as a medication for colds and whooping cough[].

Other Uses

The fibrous bark has been used for making cloth, blankets and sails[].

The latex is rich in wax-like substances and has been used to make candles[].

The heartwood is a uniform yellowish white to yellowish brown or light brown with golden shades; it is not distinctly demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight to widely and shallowly interlocked; the lustre high; when seasoned there is no odour or taste. The wood is of moderate weight; soft to moderately hard; not very durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons normally, with only a slight risk of checking or distortion; once seasoned it is poorly stable in service. The wood works well with ordinary tools, however they need to be kept sharp otherwise the interlocked grain and the tension wood which is sometimes prevalent can cause fuzzy grain and burning of saws due to pinching; it takes stains and finishes readily; takes nails and screws well; presents no gluing problems. It is used for purposes such as light carpentry, light construction, flooring, furniture components, plywood, particleboard, fibreboard, pulp and paper products, and mouldings[, ].

Propagation

Seed -
Greenwood cuttings.

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: what is half of 100?