This is a complex and very variable species, often treated as many distinct species. A recent revision - Maas P.J.M et al; Confronting a morphological nightmare: Revision of the Neotropical genus Guatteria (Annonaceae); Blumea Vol. 60 1 - 219; 2015 - has found that most of these species have a range of variation that grades into other species in the complex and that they cannot be maintained as distinct species. Accordingly, they are treated here as synonyms of one ggregate species[, ]

Common Name:

General Information

Guatteria punctata is a very variable evergreen shrub or tree that can grow from 1 - 45 metres tall. The bole can range from 5 - 75cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas.

Habitat

Rain forest[]. In non-inundated lowland, premontane or montane forest, often on clayey soil; at elevations up to 2,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	22.00 m
Pollinators	Beetles
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The thin layer of flesh is eaten[, ]. The fruits are produced in bunches of 5 - 100, becoming black to purple-black when fully ripe. Each fruit is ellipsoid to subglobose, 7 - 20mm long and 4 - 15 mm wide, containing a single, large seed[].

Medicinal

The leaves are used in herbal baths[]. No further information is given[].

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the bark. It is used for a range of purposes[].
The fibrous bark can be used to make rope[].

The stems are split to make stakes and used as the palisade walls of traditional houses[].

The wood isused to make boards[].

Propagation

Seed -

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