If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Tropical Plants

Oxandra lanceolata

(Sw.) Baill.

Annonaceae

+ Synonyms

Bocagea virgata (Sw.) Benth. & Hook.f.

Cananga lancea Poit. ex DC.

Guatteria virgata (A.Rich.) Dunal

Oxandra virgata A.Rich.

Uvaria lanceolata Sw.

Uvaria virgata Sw.

Common Name: West Indian Lancewood

Oxandra lanceolata

General Information

Oxandra lanceolata is an evergreen shrub or a tree that can grow around 2 - 20metres tall. The trunk can be 10 - 30cm in diameter, and can be unbranched for up to 4 metres[
441
Title
Handbooks of the Flora of Papua New Guinea
Publication
 
Author
Womersley. J.S. (Editor)
Publisher
Melbourne University Press
Year
1995
ISBN
0 522 84095 7
Description
Only a part of the flora, but an excellent publication in 3 volumes. It can be downloaded from the internet.
,
448
Title
Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1974
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
,
2121
Title
Revision of Oxandra (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 61, 2016; 215-266
Author
Junikka L. et al
Website
https://doi.org/10.3767/000651916X694283
Publisher
 
Year
2016
ISBN
 
Description
Includes many plant uses recorded by plant collectors.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its high quality wood, which is used locally and also exported. The plant also has local uses as a food and a medicine.
Oxandra lanceolata has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

426
Title
Flowering Plants of Jamaica
Publication
 
Author
Adams. C.D.
Publisher
University of the West Indies; Jamaica.
Year
1972
ISBN
 
Description
A terse treatment of the flowering plants of Jamaica, with a botanical description of each plant, notes on habitat etc.
,
2121
Title
Revision of Oxandra (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 61, 2016; 215-266
Author
Junikka L. et al
Website
https://doi.org/10.3767/000651916X694283
Publisher
 
Year
2016
ISBN
 
Description
Includes many plant uses recorded by plant collectors.

Range

Southern N. America - central and southern Mexico; Caribbean - Cuba and Jamaica to Puerto Rico

Habitat

Dry thickets, deciduous forests or very humid forest, often on shallow and limestone soils; at elevations up to 700 metres[
426
Title
Flowering Plants of Jamaica
Publication
 
Author
Adams. C.D.
Publisher
University of the West Indies; Jamaica.
Year
1972
ISBN
 
Description
A terse treatment of the flowering plants of Jamaica, with a botanical description of each plant, notes on habitat etc.
,
448
Title
Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1974
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
,
2121
Title
Revision of Oxandra (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 61, 2016; 215-266
Author
Junikka L. et al
Website
https://doi.org/10.3767/000651916X694283
Publisher
 
Year
2016
ISBN
 
Description
Includes many plant uses recorded by plant collectors.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height10.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Succeeds in calcium-rich soils[
2116
Title
Elsevier’s Dictionary of Trees, Volume 1 North America: With Names in Latin, English, French, Spanish and other lang
Publication
 
Author
Grandtner M.M.
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.; Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Year
2005
ISBN
0-444-51784-7
Description
 
].
Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round[
2121
Title
Revision of Oxandra (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 61, 2016; 215-266
Author
Junikka L. et al
Website
https://doi.org/10.3767/000651916X694283
Publisher
 
Year
2016
ISBN
 
Description
Includes many plant uses recorded by plant collectors.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - [
2121
Title
Revision of Oxandra (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 61, 2016; 215-266
Author
Junikka L. et al
Website
https://doi.org/10.3767/000651916X694283
Publisher
 
Year
2016
ISBN
 
Description
Includes many plant uses recorded by plant collectors.
]. The fruit is composed of 1 - 4, maroon to black, ellipsoid to obovoid monocarps, each around 8 - 15mm long and 5 - 12mm wide[
2121
Title
Revision of Oxandra (Annonaceae)
Publication
Blumea 61, 2016; 215-266
Author
Junikka L. et al
Website
https://doi.org/10.3767/000651916X694283
Publisher
 
Year
2016
ISBN
 
Description
Includes many plant uses recorded by plant collectors.
].

Medicinal

The bark is used as a gargle to treat toothache[
2116
Title
Elsevier’s Dictionary of Trees, Volume 1 North America: With Names in Latin, English, French, Spanish and other lang
Publication
 
Author
Grandtner M.M.
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.; Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Year
2005
ISBN
0-444-51784-7
Description
 
].

An infusion of the bark, leaves and roots is used to treat bad blood, diarrhoea and stomachache[
2116
Title
Elsevier’s Dictionary of Trees, Volume 1 North America: With Names in Latin, English, French, Spanish and other lang
Publication
 
Author
Grandtner M.M.
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.; Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Year
2005
ISBN
0-444-51784-7
Description
 
].

Other Uses

The light yellow wood is made up entirely of sapwood, though an almost black heartwood develops late in older specimens. The texture is very fine; the grain straight; lustre is medium; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The wood is very strong, extremely hard, elastic; durable. It is moderately difficult to work because of its high density, but finishes smoothly and is excellent for turnery and carving. It splits easily and should be pre-bored for nailing and screwing. It is said to be the equal of boxwood in hardness. The wood is used for making fishing rods, billiard cues, archery bows, articles of turnery, slats, rafters, masts, textile machinery, and small tool handles[
316
Title
Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607.
Publication
 
Author
Chudnoff. Martin.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin.
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
,
341
Title
South American Timbers: the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 190 Species.
Publication
 
Author
Bolza. E. & Christensen. F.J.
Publisher
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
Year
1979
ISBN
0 643 02582 0
Description
A very useful guide.
,
441
Title
Handbooks of the Flora of Papua New Guinea
Publication
 
Author
Womersley. J.S. (Editor)
Publisher
Melbourne University Press
Year
1995
ISBN
0 522 84095 7
Description
Only a part of the flora, but an excellent publication in 3 volumes. It can be downloaded from the internet.
,
448
Title
Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second Volume.
Publication
 
Author
Little E.L.; Woodbury R.O.;Wadsworth F.H.
Publisher
USDA, Forest Service; Washington.
Year
1974
ISBN
 
Description
Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 500 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
,
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.
]. On account of its special elasticity and springiness it is the best timber for cart shafts[
719
Title
A Manual of the Timbers of the World
Publication
 
Author
Howard A.L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
MacMillan and Co.; London.
Year
1934
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent and comprehensive book on timbers. Rather dated, but still a main source of information for many of the less known woods. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Oxandra+lanceolata>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.