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Useful Tropical Plants

Cariniana domestica

(Mart.) Miers

Lecythidaceae

+ Synonyms

Couratari domestica Mart.

Common Name:

Cariniana domestica

General Information

Cariniana domestica is a very large tree that can reach a height of 60 metres[
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of fibre. The wood is also used locally and is traded.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.

Range

S. America - northern and central Brazil.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitTree
Height45.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is traditionally used as an antiinflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant. Research has supported these traditional uses, showing that the bark is rich in phenolic compounds[
957
Title
Antioxidant Activities and HPLC/DAD Analysis of Phenolics and Carotenoids from the Barks of Cariniana domestica (Mar
Publication
Research Journal of Phytochemistry 6 (4) pp. 105 - 112
Author
Janovik V.; Boligon A. A.; Athayde M. L.
Website
http://scialert.net/qredirect.php?doi=rjphyto.2012.105.112&linkid=pdf
Publisher
Academic Journals Inc.
Year
2012
ISBN
1819-3471
Description
Research into the antiinflammatory activity of Cariniana domestica.
].

Other Uses

The bark is a source of fibre used for rough cloth etc[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The following report is for the related Couratari tauari - it probably also applies to this species[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The inner bark is extracted in thin layers, appearing somewhat like paper, and in this form has been used for wrapping cigarettes and cigars[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. It is also used for cordage, for rough clothing, and bedding by the natives of many South American countries[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The bark is removed from the tree by means of a knife or other sharp instrument. Two cuts are made in the bark of the tree at different heights, surrounding the entire tree, and then another cut is made longitudinal to the first two. This section of the bark is then torn or stripped off the tree, it is pounded and then washed to separate the parenchyma from the fibre, thus obtaining a textile substance[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. In other cases the bark is loosened by continued blows or beating[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. The fibre is traditionally used to make clothing, blankets etc. Some of the blankets appear as if made from soft, pliable leather, others look like cotton. It is also used for mats, carpets, and to take the place of paper in wrapping cigarettes[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. One of the blankets made by beating the bark is described as being 180cm long and 270cm wide[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The women of the tribe of the Churruyes, of Colombia, use the bark in the fashioning of a sort of garment called farquina, which is secured to the shoulders by strands of palm fibre, probably an Astrocaryum. 'The fibre is separated by blows and jerks into sheets, resembling cloth, which, when rubbed, washed, and exposed to the sun and dew, becomes light in colour and flexible.'' The garment is sometimes dyed red. Some of the Indians of Peru and Bolivia make shirts of the fibre; these being dyed in red and other colours[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

The wood is a source of Jequitiba timber, a light brown timber with a smooth grain that is easily worked. It is used in construction etc[
719
Title
A Manual of the Timbers of the World
Publication
 
Author
Howard A.L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
MacMillan and Co.; London.
Year
1934
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent and comprehensive book on timbers. Rather dated, but still a main source of information for many of the less known woods. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
A general description of the wood from this genus is as follows:-
The heartwood is reddish-or purplish-brown, sometimes with dark streaks; it is usually not sharply demarcated from the pale brown sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight to interlocked; lustre is medium; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The heartwood is reported to be durable, particularly deeply coloured material; it has good resistance to dry-wood termite attack. Working properties are generally satisfactory, with only a slight blunting effect on cutting edges; but species in this grouping are also reported to cause rapid dulling of cutters. Silica is estimated to be in excess of 0.05%. Veneers are reported to be cut without difficulty. The wood is used in general construction and carpentry, furniture components, shipbuilding, flooring, veneer for plywood, and turnery[
316
Title
Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607.
Publication
 
Author
Chudnoff. Martin.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin.
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
].

Propagation

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

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