Hirtella racemosa
Lam.
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. is a distinct species.
Hirtella acayacensis Moc. & Sessé ex DC.
Hirtella americana hexandra (Willd. ex Schult.) Hook.f.
Hirtella americana oblongifolia (DC.) Hook.f.
Hirtella coriacea Mart. & Zucc.
Hirtella filiformis C.Presl
Hirtella hexandra Willd. ex Schult.
Hirtella nemorosa Hoffmanns. ex Schult.
Hirtella nitida Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult.
Hirtella oblongifolia DC.
Hirtella rosea Moc. & Sessé ex DC.
Hirtella scandens Hoffmanns. ex Schult.
Hirtella strigulosa Steud.
Hirtella violacea Steud.
Salmasia guianensis (Aubl.) J.F.Gmel.
Salmasia racemosa Willd.
Tachibota guianensis Aubl.
Common Name: Caripé
General Information
Hirtella racemosa is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a wide, but thin crown; it usually only grows up to 4 - 5 metres tall, though it sometimes becomes a medium-sized tree. The small bole is usually less than 10cm in diameter[
,
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, whilst the flexible branches are used in making traditional buildings.
Hirtella racemosa 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 - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean - Trinidad.
Habitat
Lower layers of primary forests, usually on the well-drained soils of hills, slopes and ridges[
]. Primary forest, especially beside rivers and streams, but also in the understorey; on non-flooded 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 |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 4.00 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
Fruit[
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
]. Rather sweet, but the flavour is not attractive and the amount of flesh and juice is small[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. The ellipsoid fruit is a drupe around 13mm long and 7mm wide with a thin layer of flesh[
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.
,
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.
].
Medicinal
The bark is astringent[
411- Title
- Trees and Shrubs of Mexico
- Publication
- Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol 23
- Author
- Standley P.C.
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Institution; Washington
- Year
- 1926
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Although dated, it contains a wealth of information on the trees and shrubs of Mexico, including many of their uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. Together with the leaves it is used to make a tea which is taken as hot as possible "to open the throat" in cases of extreme respiratory ailments.[
697- Title
- Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 29
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Harvard University; Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Some interesting notes on plant uses in tropical America. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Other Uses
The bark is brown, the inner bark dark reddish brown. The sapwood is pale yellow and the heartwood reddish brown or reddish pink[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. The long, flexible branches are used in making the roofs of traditional houses[
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
