Licania alba
(Bernoulli) Cuatrec.
Chrysobalanaceae
Caraipa longifolia Aubl.
Licania longifolia Benoist
Licania venosa Rusby
Theobroma album Bernoulli
Common Name:
General Information
Licania alba is a tree with a heavy crown; it can grow up to 35 metres tall. The bole is unbuttressed, usually cylindrical, around 40 - 60cm in diameter and unbranched for up to 18 metres[
378- Title
- Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
- Publication
- USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
- Author
- Longwood.F.R.
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
].
The tree has local medicinal uses. It is also harvested commercially from the wild for its timber, which is often exported[
378- Title
- Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
- Publication
- USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
- Author
- Longwood.F.R.
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
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.
,
734- Title
- Chrysobalanaceae Part 1. Species Plantarum: Flora of the World, Part 9: 1-319
- 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 56832 4
- 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
Northern S. America - northern Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas.
Habitat
A canopy tree in rainforests and seasonal forests, usually on sandy soils[
378- Title
- Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
- Publication
- USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
- Author
- Longwood.F.R.
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
,
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.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 30.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The powdered outer bark is used to dry and clean ulcers and sores[
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
A decoction of the inner bark is used to treat snakebite[
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
Other Uses
The heartwood is generally a yellowish brown to brown or dark brown, sometimes with a reddish tinge; it is clearly demarcated from the tan-coloured sapwood. The grain is straight; texture close and fine; without characteristic odour or taste; growth layers are not evident. The wood is very dense, hard, very heavy, strong, not very durable in the soil but very resistant to marine borers. Most species contain an abundance of silica[
378- Title
- Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
- Publication
- USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
- Author
- Longwood.F.R.
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
]. The wood is difficult to work owing to the high silica content and hardness. The combination of these factors causes a rapid dulling of cutting edges. When sharp cutting edges are maintained, the wood can be machined to a smooth surface in planing, boring, sawing, and other operations[
378- Title
- Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
- Publication
- USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
- Author
- Longwood.F.R.
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
]. The high marine borer resistance of the wood indicates that the highest use for these timbers is for piling and marine construction in waters infested with marine borers. The difficulty in working these timbers except with an axe or adze, as well as their high density and only moderate resistance to decay, suggests that their most suitable secondary use would be in heavy construction above ground[
378- Title
- Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
- Publication
- USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
- Author
- Longwood.F.R.
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
].
The wood is used for fuel and also for making charcoal[
378- Title
- Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean
- Publication
- USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207
- Author
- Longwood.F.R.
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC.
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
