Common Name:

General Information

Byrsonima sericea is a semideciduous tree with a dense, ovate crown; usually growing 6 - 16 metres tall, but more likely to be a shrub when growing near the coast. The more or less straight, cylindrical bole can be 30 - 70cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of wood, tannins and edible fruit. It is very ornamental when in bloom[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Argentina, central, eastern and northern Brazil, Bolivia.

Habitat

Deciduous forests in both primary and secondary formations, growing in dense forest as well as the forest edges, preferring clay and other fertile soils along the sides of rivers and creeks[]. Also found in coastal forests, often as a shrub[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in full sun and in dappled shade[].

Edible Uses

The fruit has a fleshy pulp[]. The green, globose fruit is about 8mm in diameter[]. The report does not specifically say that the fruit is edible, but this is almost certainly the case[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The bark is a good source of tannins[].

The bark is used as a dye on textiles[].

The heartwood is differentiated from the thin layer of sapwood. The wood is cross-grained, heavy, with moderate mechanical properties, not resistant to rot but of good resistance to termite attack[]. It is used for internal work in general constructions, such as beams, window and door frames, scantlings etc., and also for making furniture[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed. Germination rates are normally low, with the seed sprouting within 5 - 7 weeks[]. Transplant the seedlings to individual containers when 5 - 6cm tall[].

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