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Useful Tropical Plants

Eperua jenmanii

Oliv.

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Eperua stipulata Kleinhoonte

Common Name:

Eperua jenmanii

General Information

Eperua jenmanii is an evergreen tree with a light, rounded or oval crown; it can grow 10 - 35 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole is basally swollen or has low buttresses; it can be unbranched for 12 - 18 metres and 15 - 70cm in diameter[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
,
383
Title
A Monograph of the Genus Eperua.
Publication
Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. No. 28
Author
Cowan. R.S.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington DC
Year
1975
ISBN
 
Description
Number 28 in the 'Smithsonian Contributions to Botany' series, a very detailed monograph of the genus Eperua. It can be downloaded in PDF format from the Internet.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its timber, which is used locally and also exported.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

383
Title
A Monograph of the Genus Eperua.
Publication
Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. No. 28
Author
Cowan. R.S.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington DC
Year
1975
ISBN
 
Description
Number 28 in the 'Smithsonian Contributions to Botany' series, a very detailed monograph of the genus Eperua. It can be downloaded in PDF format from the Internet.

Range

Northern S. America - northern Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas.

Habitat

Lowland rainforest, often along rivers, at elevations from 110 - 1,000 metres[
383
Title
A Monograph of the Genus Eperua.
Publication
Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. No. 28
Author
Cowan. R.S.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington DC
Year
1975
ISBN
 
Description
Number 28 in the 'Smithsonian Contributions to Botany' series, a very detailed monograph of the genus Eperua. It can be downloaded in PDF format from the Internet.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height25.00 m
Growth RateFast
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Found in the wild in acid, white sandy soils[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
].
The trees make rather rapid growth, but develop heart rots at a fairly early age[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
].
The plant flowers and fruits more or less throughout the year[
383
Title
A Monograph of the Genus Eperua.
Publication
Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. No. 28
Author
Cowan. R.S.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington DC
Year
1975
ISBN
 
Description
Number 28 in the 'Smithsonian Contributions to Botany' series, a very detailed monograph of the genus Eperua. It can be downloaded in PDF format from the Internet.
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
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.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The scraped root is used for treating toothache[
383
Title
A Monograph of the Genus Eperua.
Publication
Smithsonian Contributions to Botany. No. 28
Author
Cowan. R.S.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington DC
Year
1975
ISBN
 
Description
Number 28 in the 'Smithsonian Contributions to Botany' series, a very detailed monograph of the genus Eperua. It can be downloaded in PDF format from the Internet.
].

Other Uses

A process patented in England isolates the resin from the wood, this resin is then reacted with aldehydes in situ to form thermoplastic or thermosetting resins, giving a cheap molding powder. This promises the development of a wet-forming or dry-forming process for making fibreboard from the wood[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
].

The heartwood is red or reddish-purple; it is clearly demarcated from the 2 - 5cm thick band of dirty white or gray coloured, resin-streaked sapwood[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
]. The grain is uniformly straight; the texture medium to coarse; not lustrous, although quarter-sawn lumber shows a pleasing fleck as a result of resinous deposits; it is tasteless and is either odourless or has a slight odour described as rancid, sour, or like creosote by different observers. The wood is hard, heavy, stiff, strong, durable to very durable in the soil[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
]. Although it is hard, the wood works easily with machine and hand tools except that gum collects on the cutting edges of the tools[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
]. It polishes reasonably well after filling; stains readily with both oil and spirit stains; turns well; it usually splits straight and clean; but does not take nails satisfactorily[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
]. The wood is exceptionally well suited for use as transmission poles, flagpoles, and posts. Its good strength and durability qualify the timber for railway ties, shoring, bridge timbers, and mine timbers. In building construction it is used for foundations, sills, joists, framing, roofing, siding, and veranda posts. The high resin content of the wood makes it an excellent flooring material in chemical factories, mills, and warehouses[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
].
The wood has a relatively high calorific value as fuel wood or charcoal, oven dry heartwood having a value of 9,260 BTU. and sapwood 8,980 BTU. as compared to 12,000 BTU. for coal. Charcoal made from the wood has a calorific value of 13,200 to 13,800 BTU. (7,300 calories) per pound[
378
Title
Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
Publication
USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
Author
Longwood.F.R.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
Year
1962
ISBN
 
Description
Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
].

Propagation

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

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