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Useful Tropical Plants

Guarea kunthiana

A.Juss.

Meliaceae

+ Synonyms

Guarea cook-griggsii C.DC.

Guarea densiflora Poepp. & Endl.

Guarea depauperata Harms

Guarea erythrocarpa C.DC.

Guarea glauca Triana & Planch.

Guarea grandifoliola C.DC.

Guarea macrantha Standl. & L.O.Williams

Guarea matudae Lundell

Guarea megaphylla Cuatrec.

Guarea membranacea Rusby

Guarea oblongiflora C.DC.

Guarea poeppigii C.DC.

Guarea poeppigii Triana & Planch.

Guarea pohlii C.DC.

Guarea simplicifolia C.DC.

Guarea steinbachii Harms

Guarea williamsii C.DC.

Common Name:

Guarea kunthiana
Fruiting stem
Photograph by: A. Gentry
Creative Commons License
Guarea kunthiana Guarea kunthiana Guarea kunthiana

General Information

Guarea kunthiana is an evergreen tree with a dense, oval crown; it can grow 4 - 30 metres tall, exceptionally to 50 metres in the Guyanas. The cylindrical bole can be 40 - 70cm in diameter and is buttressed[
420
Title
Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition.
Publication
 
Author
Lorenzi. H.
Publisher
Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
Year
2002
ISBN
85-86714-15-1
Description
Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
,
422
Title
Fruits of the Guianan Flora
Publication
 
Author
van Roosmalen. M.G.M.
Publisher
Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands.
Year
1985
ISBN
90-9000988-4
Description
Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
,
521
Title
Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
Publication
Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
Author
Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
Year
1984
ISBN
0015 - 0746
Description
Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. The plant is often more shrub-like when growing at higher elevations[
382
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens Vol. 52
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouro Botanical Garden
Year
1965
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. Amongst other things, this issue contains parts of the Flora of Panama.
].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and food, as well as for its timber, which is used locally and is traded. The plant is also probably used as a shade tree in coffee plantations.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

382
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens Vol. 52
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouro Botanical Garden
Year
1965
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. Amongst other things, this issue contains parts of the Flora of Panama.

Range

S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Nicaragua; Carib -Windward Isles

Habitat

A tree of dense primary forests, found in most forest formations, though only near rivers in the drier regions[
420
Title
Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition.
Publication
 
Author
Lorenzi. H.
Publisher
Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
Year
2002
ISBN
85-86714-15-1
Description
Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
]. When growing at higher elevations, the plant is often shrub-like[
382
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens Vol. 52
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouro Botanical Garden
Year
1965
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. Amongst other things, this issue contains parts of the Flora of Panama.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height20.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Succeeds in full sun to moderate shade[
420
Title
Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition.
Publication
 
Author
Lorenzi. H.
Publisher
Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
Year
2002
ISBN
85-86714-15-1
Description
Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
]. Requires a moist soil[
420
Title
Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition.
Publication
 
Author
Lorenzi. H.
Publisher
Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
Year
2002
ISBN
85-86714-15-1
Description
Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
422
Title
Fruits of the Guianan Flora
Publication
 
Author
van Roosmalen. M.G.M.
Publisher
Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands.
Year
1985
ISBN
90-9000988-4
Description
Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
]. The parts that are actually eaten are the funicle (the filamentous stalk that attaches the seed to the placenta) and the hilum (the part that attaches the funicle to the seed)[
422
Title
Fruits of the Guianan Flora
Publication
 
Author
van Roosmalen. M.G.M.
Publisher
Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands.
Year
1985
ISBN
90-9000988-4
Description
Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
]. A mealy texture[
422
Title
Fruits of the Guianan Flora
Publication
 
Author
van Roosmalen. M.G.M.
Publisher
Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands.
Year
1985
ISBN
90-9000988-4
Description
Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
].

Medicinal

A cold water infusion of the bark is drunk as a treatment for malaria[
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
]. Some people prepare the drink from the outer bark, while others prefer to use only the rasped inner bark[
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
].

Agroforestry Uses:

We do not have any specific information for this plant, but many species in this genus are commonly planted in coffee plantations in order to provide shade[
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.
].

Other Uses

The wood is medium-textured, heavy, soft, with moderate mechanical properties and reasonably durable if kept dry. It is used for making floor boards, furniture and boxes[
420
Title
Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition.
Publication
 
Author
Lorenzi. H.
Publisher
Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
Year
2002
ISBN
85-86714-15-1
Description
Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
].
The wood is used for fuel[
521
Title
Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
Publication
Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
Author
Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
Year
1984
ISBN
0015 - 0746
Description
Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
We do not have any more specific information for the wood of this species, but the following is a general description for the wood of this genus:-
The heartwood is pinkish to deep reddish-brown; it is distinct, but not sharply demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain rather straight; luster is rather low; green wood is aromatic but odour and taste are very mild or not distinctive in dry specimens. The heartwood has good resistance to dry-wood termites and is durable in the ground. The wood air dries slowly, but with only a moderate amount of warping and no checking. It saws and machines easily and well in all operations except boring, where there is a tendency to tear and crumble. It is used for making furniture, cabinet work, turnery, interior trim, joinery, ship construction (planking and trim), general carpentry, and decorative and utility veneer and plywood[
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 - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A low germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 20 - 35 days[
420
Title
Brazilian Trees. Volume 2. 4th Edition.
Publication
 
Author
Lorenzi. H.
Publisher
Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil.
Year
2002
ISBN
85-86714-15-1
Description
Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Guarea+kunthiana>

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