Common Name: Muskwood

General Information

Muskwood is an evergreen tree with a large, dense, roundish crown; it can grow 15 - 23 metres tall. The straight bole, which can be 40 - 90cm in diameter, is usually free of branches for much of its height, but can be heavily branched from quite low down when the plant grows in the open[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It is cultivated on Haiti together with coffee, bananas and other species in an agri-silviculture system[]. The tree is very ornamental and furnishes excellent shade, making it suitable for both rural and urban landscaping[].

Known Hazards

The juice of the plant is a corrosive poison which can be counteracted by an infusion of the buds of Jatropha curcas[].
The leaves are considered to be toxic to cattle[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica; Caribbean.

Habitat

Lowland forests in Panama[]. Often found in gallery forests, on alluvial plains and in valleys, it is found in both dense primary forests and, more commonly, in secondary formations[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny position[].
Newly planted young trees are fairly slow-growing[].
Plants can flower and produce fruit for most of the year[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the whole, crushed plant is drunk as a treatment for angina, asthma and dyspnoea[].

The resin obtained from the leaves and the stem, as well as the pulverised bark, is used locally as styptic[].

The stem bark is emetic (in larger doses), expectorant, haemostatic and purgative[, , ]. A decoction is used to induce vomiting and to treat infant's thrush[].
Applied externally, the powdered bark is used as a haemostatic to stem bleeding[]. The liquid obtained from the rasped bark is rubbed onto skin in order to relieve body aches[].

The boiled leaves are used as an emetic[].

The bark contains the alkaloid rusbyine[].

A juice obtained from the roots and stems is abortifacient, emmenagogue, purgative and violently emetic[].
The juice is a corrosive poison which can be counteracted by an infusion of buds of Jatropha curcas[].

Extracts of the bark and wood contain beta-sitosterol[].
The seed contains angustinolide, a tetranotriterpenoid[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is cultivated in an agroforestry system on Haiti together with coffee, bananas and other species[]. In Puerto Rico it is considered to give too dense a shade for growing with coffee[].

Other Uses

A reddish Sandal oil is obtained from the wood[]. (refers to G. trichilioides, a synonym of this species.)

The very attractive heartwood is pinkish to red, turning light reddiish brown; the sapwood is whitish to brownish. The texture is medium, grain is straight; aromatic when green though odourless when seasoned. The wood is of medium weight to moderately heavy; hard; strong; tough; elastic to somewhat brittle; and very durable, even when in wet ground, with resistance to attack by dry-wood termites. Rate of air-seasoning is slow, and amount of degrade is moderate. Machining characteristics are as follows: planing, shaping, turning, mortising, and resistance to screw splitting are good; boring is fair; and sanding is excellent. This pretty wood makes fine furniture and cabinets, since it resembles mahogany and Spanish-cedar and takes a high polish. It is used also for construction, internal works, window frames, carpentry, implements, cooperage etc[, , , ].
The wood is a favoured fuel because it splits easily[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a short viability and should not be allowed to dry out, nor should the aril surrounding the seed be removed[]. Sow the seed as soon as it is harvested in a lightly shaded position, either in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. Germination rates are usually low, with the seed sprouting within 30 - 50 days[].

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