Maytenus boaria
Molina
Celastraceae
Boaria molinae A.DC.
Celastrus boaria Baill.
Celastrus maytenus Willd.
Celastrus uncinatus Ruiz & Pav.
Maytenus chilensis DC.
Senacia maytenus Lam.
Common Name: Mayten
General Information
Maytenus boaria is a slow-growing evergreen shrub or tree with a dense, oval crown and graceful, weeping foliage. It can grow up to a height of 24 metres in the wild, though cultivated plants are usually rather smaller[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. The bole can be 35cm or more in diameter[
549- Title
- Flore Forestiere Du Globe
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chnacerel L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Gauthier-Villars et Co.; Paris.
- Year
- 1920
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, a very detailed work on the timbers of the world. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for medicinal purposes and the oil obtained from its seed, which are used locally. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
S. America - Chile, Argentina, southern and eastern Brazil, Peru.
Habitat
Pasturelands, avoiding the competition for light from other trees[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 10.00 m |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of warm temperate areas to highland areas in the Tropics, where it can be found at elevations above 2,000 metres. A fairly frost-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Requires a moist but well-drained soil[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Succeeds in most soils in a sunny position[
182- Title
- Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thomas. G. S.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-7195-5043-2
- Description
- Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
] and also in semi-shade[
188- Title
- The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brickell. C.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-86318-386-7
- Description
- Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
]. Requires a position sheltered from strong cold winds[
188- Title
- The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brickell. C.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-86318-386-7
- Description
- Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
].
Cattle are very strongly attracted to the leaves of this plant and will not touch other forage when this species is available[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
].
Plants are usually monoecious, but occasional hermaphrodite flowers are produced[
219- Title
- Gardening on Walls
- Publication
-
- Author
- Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V.
- Publisher
- Collins
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-00-219220-0
- Description
- A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
].
Edible Uses
An edible oil is obtained from the seed. Used for cooking[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Medicinal
The leaves are febrifuge and slightly purgative[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. A decoction is used in the treatment of malaria[
739- Title
- Medicinal Plants of Brazil
- Publication
-
- Author
- Mors W.B.; Rizzini C.T.; Pereira N.A.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications; Michigan.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 0-917256-42-5
- Description
- An extremely concise book, listing approximately 1,500 species and varieties of plants with their botanical name, common name in Brazil, regions in Brazil where the plant is found, a brief list of uses and any medically active compounds in the plant.
].
A decoction of the leaves is used externally to wash wounds[
739- Title
- Medicinal Plants of Brazil
- Publication
-
- Author
- Mors W.B.; Rizzini C.T.; Pereira N.A.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications; Michigan.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 0-917256-42-5
- Description
- An extremely concise book, listing approximately 1,500 species and varieties of plants with their botanical name, common name in Brazil, regions in Brazil where the plant is found, a brief list of uses and any medically active compounds in the plant.
].
Other Uses
The reddish-grey wood is compact, very elastic, rather light in weight, extremely hard. It is excellent for general carpentry and was used traditionally for making bows[
487- Title
- Inventory of Seeds and Plants Imported Vol. 21
- Publication
- USDA Bureau of Plant Industry - Bulletin No. 205
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- USDA Government Printing Office; Washington DC.
- Year
- 1911
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Details of seeds imported for trials by the United States Department of Agriculture in the last quarter of 1909, often detailing the uses of the plant and various other miscellaneous information. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
549- Title
- Flore Forestiere Du Globe
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chnacerel L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Gauthier-Villars et Co.; Paris.
- Year
- 1920
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Written in French, a very detailed work on the timbers of the world. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Propagation
Seed -
Cuttings of half-ripe wood.
Division of suckers in the autumn or spring[
188- Title
- The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brickell. C.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-86318-386-7
- Description
- Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
