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Useful Tropical Plants

Eschweilera grandiflora

(Aubl.) Sandwith

Lecythidaceae

+ Synonyms

Eschweilera alba R.Knuth

Eschweilera fracta R.Knuth

Lecythis grandiflora Aubl.

Common Name: Castanha Vermelha

Eschweilera grandiflora
Drawing of the leaves, flowers, fruit and seed
Photograph by: Descourtilz, M.E., Flore médicale des Antilles, vol. 6: t. 396 (1828) [J.T. Descourtilz]
Creative Commons License

General Information

Eschweilera grandiflora is an evergreen tree growing up to 30 metres tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible seed, which contains a fine oil[
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 is also valued for its timber. The tree is sometimes cultivated for its seed[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, French Guiana.

Habitat

An understorey tree in the rainforest.

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height25.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of low elevations in the moist tropics.

Edible Uses

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.
,
348
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
Publication
 
Author
DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
Website
http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
Publisher
Smithsonian Museum
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
]. Palatable[
2
Title
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Hedrick. U. P.
Publisher
Dover Publications
Year
1972
ISBN
0-486-20459-6
Description
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
].

A fine oil can be obtained from the seeds[
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

An infusion of the flowers is used in the treatment of ophthalmia[
348
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
Publication
 
Author
DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
Website
http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
Publisher
Smithsonian Museum
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].

The fruit is acidic and refreshant[
348
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
Publication
 
Author
DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
Website
http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
Publisher
Smithsonian Museum
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].

An emulsion of the seed is used in the treatment of infections of the urinary tract[
348
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
Publication
 
Author
DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
Website
http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
Publisher
Smithsonian Museum
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].

Other Uses

An oil extracted from the seeds is used in soap-making and as lubricant[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

The light red to orange-red wood is dense, close-grained and very strong[
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 is used for spokes[
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.
].
We do not have any more specific information for this species, but the general description for the wood of this genus is as follows:-
The heartwood of most species is light brown, grayish-brown, reddish-brown, or brownish-buff, sometimes with black streaks; it is usually distinct from the yellowish sapwood. The texture is fine and uniform; the grain typically straight; lustre is low; there is no distinctive odour or taste. Depending on the species, silica content may be as high as 2.4%. Most species are highly resistant to attack by both brown-rot and white-rot fungi. Also most of the species have gained wide recognition for their high degree of resistance to marine-borer attack. Resistance to dry-wood termite attack is variable, depending on species. The wood is rated as fairly difficult to air season, drying rates are slow to moderate. Warp and checking are rated as slight to moderate, depending on species. Most of the species are difficult to work because of the high density and high silica content (excepting E. Tenax); specially tipped cutters are suggested. They can be used for purposes such as marine and other heavy construction, industrial flooring, pulpmill
equipment, railroad crossties, piling, 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. 2024-12-07. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Eschweilera+grandiflora>

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