Caryocar amygdaliferum
Mutis
Caryocaraceae
The species is closely related to Caryocar costaricense, to such a degree that they may be forms of the same taxon[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Rhizobolus amygdaliferus (Mutis ex Cav.) Oken
Common Name:
General Information
Caryocar amygdaliferum is a very large, evergreen tree capable of growing up to 55 metres tall[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. The bole has buttresses that can be up to 3 metres tall[
708- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 63
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Among many articles on botany, is part of the Flora of Panama. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
The tree produces a large edible seed that is often gathered from the wild by local people[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. The wood is harvested from the wild and used commercially.
The tree is rare in the wild and has been listed as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2009)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
The fruit is used as a fish poison[
708- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 63
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Among many articles on botany, is part of the Flora of Panama. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
708- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 63
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Among many articles on botany, is part of the Flora of Panama. It can be downloaded from the internet.
Range
Central America - Panama, Colombia.
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest[
708- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 63
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Among many articles on botany, is part of the Flora of Panama. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Endangered |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 55.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
A tree of moist, lowland tropical areas.
Edible Uses
The seed is eaten raw[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
An edible oil is obtained from the seed[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. It has a pleasant flavour[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The wood is harvested for commercial use[
708- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 63
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Among many articles on botany, is part of the Flora of Panama. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
The heartwood is yellowish to light grayish-brown; it is hardly separable from the sapwood. The texture is medium to rather coarse; the grain interlocked; fresh material has a mild vinegary scent, but there is no discernible odour or taste when dry. The heartwood is rated as very durable in resistance to both brown-rot and white-rot fungi; classified as resistant to dry-wood termites and moderately resistant to marine borers. It is said to be easy to moderately difficult to saw, producing a rapid dulling of cutting edges; radial faces are difficult to finish smoothly because of interlocked grain. The wood is used for general and marine construction, heavy flooring, railway crossties, boat parts, furniture components; it is especially suitable where hardness and high wear resistance are needed[
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 - takes 6 - 12 months to germinate[
63- Title
- Nuts.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Howes. F. N.
- Publisher
- Faber
- Year
- 1948
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable.
]. Grow young plants on in a sheltered position with some shelter from the sun[
63- Title
- Nuts.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Howes. F. N.
- Publisher
- Faber
- Year
- 1948
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
