Hirtella americana
L.
Chrysobalanaceae
The name Hirtella americana L. was wrongly applied by Aublet, (Hist. Pl. Guiane 1: 247 (1775)) to Hirtella racemosa Lam., and this mistake was then followed by many other authors. Hirtella americana L. and Hirtella racemosa Lam., are distinct species.
Chrysobalanus americanus (L.) Morales
Chrysobalanus mollicomus (Kunth) M.Gómez
Hirtella mollicoma Kunth
Hirtella mollissima Hemsl.
Common Name:
General Information
Hirtella americana is a shrub or a tree that can grow up to 20 metres tall, but is usually smaller[
735- Title
- Chrysobalanaceae Part 2. Species Plantarum: Flora of the World, Part 19: 1-268
- Publication
-
- Author
- Prance G.T.; Sothers C.A.
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb
- Publisher
- Australian Biological Resources Study; Canberra.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 0 642 56833 2
- Description
- An excellent monograph, part of a very ambitious project to catalogue all the plants in the world. It can be downloaded as a PDF file from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Hirtella americana has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major
threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
735- Title
- Chrysobalanaceae Part 2. Species Plantarum: Flora of the World, Part 19: 1-268
- Publication
-
- Author
- Prance G.T.; Sothers C.A.
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb
- Publisher
- Australian Biological Resources Study; Canberra.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 0 642 56833 2
- Description
- An excellent monograph, part of a very ambitious project to catalogue all the plants in the world. It can be downloaded as a PDF file from the Internet.
Range
S. America - Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama to Guatemala and southern Mexico; Caribbean - Cuba to Dominican Republic
Habitat
Dry forest on elevated ground[
735- Title
- Chrysobalanaceae Part 2. Species Plantarum: Flora of the World, Part 19: 1-268
- Publication
-
- Author
- Prance G.T.; Sothers C.A.
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb
- Publisher
- Australian Biological Resources Study; Canberra.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 0 642 56833 2
- Description
- An excellent monograph, part of a very ambitious project to catalogue all the plants in the world. It can be downloaded as a PDF file from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 10.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw. The pulp is eaten[
1438- Title
- Food Plants in the Americas: A Survey of the Domesticated, Cultivated, and Wild Plants Used for Human Food in North,
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kermath B.M.; Bennett B.C.' Pulsipher L.M.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A pre-publication draft of an amazing, on-going work first started in 1985. It contains information on more than 3,900 taxa from the Americas - from Arctic regions to the Tropics
]. Fruit ellipsoid; epicarp sparsely pubescent to glabrous; mesocarp thin, fleshy; endocarp thin, hard, bony, hirsute within[
735- Title
- Chrysobalanaceae Part 2. Species Plantarum: Flora of the World, Part 19: 1-268
- Publication
-
- Author
- Prance G.T.; Sothers C.A.
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/cjb
- Publisher
- Australian Biological Resources Study; Canberra.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 0 642 56833 2
- Description
- An excellent monograph, part of a very ambitious project to catalogue all the plants in the world. It can be downloaded as a PDF file from the Internet.
].
Seed[
1438- Title
- Food Plants in the Americas: A Survey of the Domesticated, Cultivated, and Wild Plants Used for Human Food in North,
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kermath B.M.; Bennett B.C.' Pulsipher L.M.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A pre-publication draft of an amazing, on-going work first started in 1985. It contains information on more than 3,900 taxa from the Americas - from Arctic regions to the Tropics
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
