Common Name:

General Information

Lecythis chartacea is an evergreen tree with a dense, more or less globose crown; it can grow 8 - 30 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 70 - 80cm in diameter, thickening at the base and with a thick bark[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas.

Habitat

Amazon rainforest, mainly in primary forest in areas not subject to periodic inundation, favouring the fertile soils of alluvial plains[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Young plants can tolerate quite dense shade, the plants becoming more tolerant and needy of lighter conditions as they grow older[]. Succeeds in dry to fairly wet soils[]. Grows best in deep, fertile soils[].

Edible Uses

Seed[]. The oval seed is up to 30mm long and 20mm wide[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The wood is of uniform texture, moderately heavy, moderately hard, with good mechanical properties but not very durable when exposed to the elements. It is used in construction for purposes such as beams, scantlings and laths; and for making furniture[].
We have no more specific information on the wood of this species. A general description of the wood from this genus is as follows:-
The heartwood is light to dark salmon; the sapwood is creamy-yellow. The texture is medium fine and uniform; the grain fairly straight or slightly interlocked; lustre is mostly low but high in some species; there is no distinctive odour or taste. the wood is reported to be very durable upon exposure to both a white-rot and a brown-rot fungus confirming its reputation for high resistance to decay; it is also highly resistant to dry-wood termites and is reported to be moderately resistant to marine borer attack. It is rated as easy to moderately difficult to air season, depending on species; a slow to rapid drying rate is reported; warp and checking ranged from slight to moderate. The wood is moderately difficult to work because of its high density; however, surfaces obtained in planing, boring, sawing, and shaping were smooth and rated as good to excellent. Silica content varies with species and dulling of cutters is also variable. The wood is used for purposes such as heavy construction, ship keels and beams, railroad crossties, industrial flooring and other uses requiring high impact resistance (wagon wheels, tool handles), turnery[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in individual containers. A low germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 28 - 35 days[].

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