Common Name:

General Information

Minquartia guianensis is an evergreen tree with a short, oval crown; it can grow 10 - 25 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole characteristically has many holes when it is mature. It can be 40 - 120cm in diameter, with buttresses at the base[].
A valuable and extremely durable timber, it is often harvested from the wild for local use and trade.
Seed-producing trees are sometimes low in numbers but regeneration does not appear to be inadequate. It has become rarer in some areas where the wood is intensively harvested for local use, notably in Brazil and Colombia. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua.

Habitat

Rainforests, in both primary and secondary formations, most commonly in sites not liable to seasonal inundation, growing in both sandy and clayey soils at elevations from sea level to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a position in some shade[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark has been used in the treatment of malaria, intestinal parasites, and colds[].

Agroforestry Uses:

In agroforestry trials in Peru, the best establishment and growth of this tree was observed where seedlings were mixed with plantains, or on the borders of the field where neighbouring taller vegetation provided partial shade. A comparison between individuals in agroforestry trials and those in natural forests found that larger DBHs were obtained in agroforestry at a given height and that diameter growth was also higher in agroforestry trees, showing that this species can establish and thrive under these conditions. Plants grown in these agroforestry trials flowered and fruited from the age of approximately 6 years, and the fertile periods in both the flood plain and terra firma trials coincided more or less with the pattern observed in natural flood plain forests. On the basis of the results from this it was concluded that without silvicultural measures to enhance the density and growth of Minqurtia guianensis, there is only a limited ability of natural flood plain forests to supply the wood of this species[].

Other Uses

The fissured bark exudes a white latex when cut[].

The wood is fine-textured, irregular-grained, very heavy and almost impervious to rot. A valuable timber, it is very hard to cut but is much used for external purposes such as poles, posts etc[].
The wood is exceptionally durable and has been reported to have lasted 30 - 40 years in the ground without any signs of decay[]. It is resistant to attacks from fungus and termites. Because of this exceptional durability, it has been extracted for subsistence and commercial purposes, mainly for posts and poles in construction[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. A low germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed sprouting within 30 - 40 days[]. When the seedbed sown seedlings are 4 - 5cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out 8 - 9 months later[].

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