Common Name:

General Information

Protium heptaphyllum is an evergreen tree with a large, dense crown; it can grow 10 - 20 metres tall[]. The bole is 40 - 60cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use, especially for its resin, but also as a food, medicine and source of wood. It is sometimescultivated for the edible fruits and the resin, and the resin is sometimes exported[, ]. An ornamental plant, it can be used in urban and rural planting schemes[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela and the Guyanas.

Habitat

Primary or secondary semi-deciduous, broadleafed forests[]. Savannah and ridge forests, especially on the higher banks of rivers[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[].
Plants have a moderate rate of growth[].
Most, if not all, species in this genus are dioecious, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The pulp is eaten[]. A sweet flavour[]. The fruit is made into a drink[].

Medicinal

The bark yields a resinous material, known as 'Busnigre Kandra' or 'Boesnegre Kandra', which hardens on contact with the air. It is put in water and the liquid is drunk to remedy chest afflictions, bronchitis and asthma[].

The bark and leaves are used to treat gangrenous ulcers and general inflammations[].

The plant (part not specified) is haemostatic[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree gives an excellent shade[].

Other Uses

A resin is obtained from the stems[]. Known as 'hyawa gum' or 'ronima resin', it is used for incense and in varnishes[, ]. The white resin is hard and translucent, it easily fractures and is distinctly pungent, even when old and dried[]. The resin is mixed into a red body paint[]. It is also sometimes added to clay when making pots[]. The resin is used as a glaze[]. The resin is made up of 30% protamyrine; 25% proteleminic acid; 37.5% protelresin as well as several minor constituents such as oil[].
The resin is collected from incisions made in the bark of the trees, the resin being allowed to dry on the trunk before being gathered and wrapped up in leaves into little packets which are hung under the rafters of the house to 'age' for four or five months before being used[].

The heartwood is light brown; it is not demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain irregular; lustre is medium; there is no distinctive taste or aroma. The wood is moderately heavy, compact, hard, of great durability in dry places. It is quite elastic and easy to work, producing a good finish. The wood is used in general construction, internal work, floorboards, lathe work, furniture, carpentry and cabinet making[, ].
We have no more information on the wood of this species, but a general description of the wood for tropical American members of this genus is as follows:-
The heartwood is brown or reddish-brown, sometimes with irregularly spaced darker brown lines; it is not always sharply demarcated from the pale buff to pinkish sapwood. The texture varies from rather fine to fairly coarse; grain straight to very irregular and interlocked; lustre is rather high; dry specimens are without any distinctive odour or taste. Silica is reported for some species. The wood is generally reported to have a low resistance to attack by decay fungi and is vulnerable to dry-wood termites; it has no appreciable resistance to marine borers. Reports on seasoning vary from fairly easy to air dry to moderately difficult. Logs should be debarked prior to sawing to avoid resin accumulation
on cutters and equipment. The dry wood works easily and rates fair to good in all operations; it cuts easily into veneers but tends to buckle on drying; some species are abrasive because of the silica content. The wood is used for purposes such as furniture, millwork, veneer and plywood, general construction, particleboard; it is a possible substitute for birch[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as harvested, in nursery seedbeds or individual containers[]. The germination rate is normally low, occurring in 15 - 25 days[]. Plants sown in seedbeds should be potted into individual containers when 5 - 6cm tall[].

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