Common Name:

General Information

Lecythis tuyrana is an evergreen tree that can grow to around 30 metres tall. The straight bole can be free of branches for around 8 metres and up to 80cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wod. It is sometimes planted for ornament[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Ecuador, Colombia; C. America - Panama.

Habitat

Lowland forests[]. Alluvial floodplains[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The pot-like fruit contains about 10 large nuts that are equal, if not superior, to the best varieties of Brazil nuts. When fresh, however, these nuts act as a strong laxative, for which reason they are shunned by local people[]. The seeds are about 60mm long and 20 - 25mm wide[].

Medicinal

The fresh nuts are strongly laxative[].

Other Uses

The heartwood varies from a light yellowish to a reddish brown; the thick band of sapwood is yellowish white. The wood is cross and more or less coarse-grained; moderately hard; heavy; strong; and tough, It splits and cuts with difficulty, but takes a fairly good polish. It is little used[].
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 -

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