Common Name: Bakuri

General Information

Bakuri is an erect, evergreen tree with a narrow, pyramidal crown and copious yellow latex in the bark, growing up to 25 metres tall[]. The straight, cylindrical bole is unbuttressed. It can be clear of branches for up to 20 metres and 60 - 80cm in diameter[, ].
One of the most popular fruits n the Amazonian region, it is often gathered from the wild and is sometimes sold in local markets[, ]. The tree is seldom cultivated, but when the local people clear land for planting or pastures, they always leave this tree standing for the sake of its edible fruits[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Surinam.

Habitat

Seasonally flooded, humid forests[, ]. Found mainly in open, transitional vegetation, being rare in the dense forest[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist, lowland tropics[].
Succeeds in a sunny position[]. Plants are tolerant of various soil conditions, including poor drainage, but dislike dry soils[, ].
In some areas within its native range this tree is viewed as a weed because it proliferates from fallen seeds and, if felled, produces abundant suckers from the roots[].
A rather fast-growing tree[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked to make sherbet, ice cream, marmalade or jelly[]. The white, pithy pulp has a pleasant odour and an agreeable, subacid flavour[]. The fruit is yellow when ripe, nearly round or ovoid, 75 - 125mm wide, weighing up to 900 g[]. The rind is yellow, hard, fleshy on the inside, 1 - 2 cm thick, and contains gummy, yellow, resinous latex[]. The infertile seed compartments are filled with pulp called 'filho 'which is the part preferred[].

Medicinal

The seeds contain 6 to 11% of an oil that is mixed with sweet almond oil and used to treat eczema and herpes[].

The bark is astringent. A decoction is used to treat diarrhoea[].

Other Uses

A non-drying oil, known as 'bakuri oil', is obtained from the seed[]. It is used for the manufacture of candles and soap[].

A fibre obtained from the bark is used for cordage[].

A black, viscous resin obtained from the bark is used for caulking boats[].

The heartwood is dull-yellow to orange-brown with many fine, dark, often black streaks; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 9cm wide band of yellowish-white sapwood. The texture is coarse to medium; the grain generally straight but at times irregular; the lustre is low. The wood is heavy; moderately hard to hard; moderately strong; elastic; durable in the soil and resistant to dry-wood borers and termites. It seasons somewhat slowly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is poorly stable in service. It has a fairly high blunting effect, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; although hard, it is easy to work with both hand and power tools; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct for interior purposes only; it polishes well. It is valued for construction, high class furniture, flooring, ship-building and general carpentry[, , , ].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in individual containers. A high germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed sprouting within 20 - 40 days[].
The seed has a very short viability of less than 30 days in the wild[].

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