Common Name: Aromata

General Information

Clathrotropis brachypetala is an unbuttressed tree that can grow up to 30 metres tall[]. The bole is usually about 40 - 50cm in diameter (though specimens have been found in Trinidad with a diameter of 150cm), and can be free of branches for 12 - 15 metres[].
The wood is harvested for local use and is also exported, whilst the tree is also utilized in traditional medicine.

Known Hazards

Alkaloids present in the seeds have demonstrated toxicity to mice[].
The inner bark has the odour of a cucumber - it is said to be poisonous[].

Botanical References

Range

Northern S. America - Venezuela, Guyana and Surinam, to Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean.

Habitat

A canopy tree in rainforests[]. Marsh forests, growing along the sides of rivers and creeks, occasionally in rain and mora forests[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The trees stand inundation in swampy areas and thrive on hillsides having a high rainfall, but do not occur in dry sites or in areas of low precipitation[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Juice from the macerated inner bark is used as a medicament for 'bush-yaws'[].
An infusion or poultice of the bark is applied externally to cleanse sores, abscesses and ulcers; eye inflammations; and to treat scorpion, insect and snakebites[].

The sap is used to treat pain and itches[].

A decoction of the bark and leaves is used in a bath to rid the body of lice, fleas and ticks[].


The seed contains a number of medically active compounds including anagyrine, cytisine, delta 5-dehydro-lupanine, rhombifoline, 11-allylcysticine, lupanine and N-methylcysticine[].

Other Uses

The sapwood is thick, sharply defined, and yellowish to brownish white. The heartwood is pinkish brown to dark brown with lighter streaks due to the prominent vessel lines[]. The wood is generally reported to be a very hard, heavy, tough, strong wood and is difficult to split under vertical compression. It is straight grained, not lustrous, and coarse textured with a harsh feel but a waxy appearance[]. The wood is odourless and tasteless when seasoned The wood is considered only moderately difficult to work, finishes smoothly, and takes a high polish[]. It is moderately resistant to decay in contact with the ground and moderately resistant to subterranean termites and probably has moderate to low resistance to marine borers[].
In Trinidad, the wood is preferred for oil-derrick substructures because of its high density, hardness, and resistance to splitting[]. It should be well suited for heavy construction, piling in non-teredo areas, boatbuilding, bridge timbers, and other uses requiring a heavy, hard, strong wood where high resistance to decay or insects is not, important[].

Propagation

Seed -

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