Common Name:

General Information

Cariniana domestica is a very large tree that can reach a height of 60 metres[].
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

Range

S. America - northern and central Brazil.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	45.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

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[].

Other Uses

The bark is a source of fibre used for rough cloth etc[].
The following report is for the related Couratari tauari - it probably also applies to this species[].
The inner bark is extracted in thin layers, appearing somewhat like paper, and in this form has been used for wrapping cigarettes and cigars[]. It is also used for cordage, for rough clothing, and bedding by the natives of many South American countries[].
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[]. In other cases the bark is loosened by continued blows or beating[]. 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[]. One of the blankets made by beating the bark is described as being 180cm long and 270cm wide[].
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[].

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[].
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[].

Propagation

Seed -

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