Common Name:

General Information

Poulsenia armata is a large tree, with a dense, irregular or rounded crown, that can sometimes reach a height of 25 metres[]. The bole is straight; rounded or somewhat compressed; 30 - 60cm or more in diameter; often with small narrow buttresses[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its bark and edible fruits[]. The fruits are sometimes sold in the markets of Veracruz[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Bolivia and Brazil to Ecuador and Venezuela, north through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Wet forests, at or a little above sea level[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the humid tropics.

Edible Uses

Ripe fruits - raw[]. They somewhat resemble small cherimoyas (Annona Cherimola)[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the bark[, ]. The inner bark is very thick and composed of numerous layers of strong crossed fibres - it is soaked in water and then beaten out into a coarse fabric that can be used for hammocks, blankets, women's clothes etc[]. Similar use of bark of Moraceae is made in many parts of the earth by primitive people, who sometimes, as in the Pacific islands, have made really handsome fabrics from it. It is quite probable that bark of some of the Guatemalan Moraceae may have been used in this manner by the Mayas or other Indians of northern Guatemala[].

The heartwood is absent, or not clearly distinguishable, from the yellowish-white sapwood which becomes brownish or oatmeal on exposure[]. The wood is not very durable[]. The lustre is rather high; the texture coarse; the grain straight to interlocked; the wood is without distinctive odour or taste[]. The wood saws woolly when green; it is difficult to plane smoothly if the grain is interlocked[]. It dulls tools rapidly because of the very high silica content of 7.32%[]. It is used for general interior construction work, crates and decorative veneer[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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