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Useful Tropical Plants

Sapium ciliatum

Hemsl.

Euphorbiaceae

+ Synonyms

Sapium patens Jabl.

Common Name:

Sapium ciliatum

General Information

Sapium ciliatum is an evergreen tree growing around 5 metres tall.
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, and possibly also for its wood, which would be traded.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

S. America - northern Brazil, French Guiana, Surinam.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height5.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark of the trunk contains a latex that is made into a decoction and used as an external wash for fever[
348
Title
Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
Publication
 
Author
DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
Website
http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
Publisher
Smithsonian Museum
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].

Other Uses

A latex is obtained from the tree that can be used to make rubber348]. Before the advent of synthetic rubber, and the dominance of Hevea brasiliensis for producing natural rubber, this was one of many species that were believed to be possible commercial sources of latex for producing rubber. At the present time we can only find information on its medicinal use[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

We have no information on the wood for this species, but a general description of the wood from American members of the genus is as follows:-
The heartwood is whitish, yellowish, or light brown; it is not distinct from the cream-coloured sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight to slightly interlocked; lustre is low; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The wood has a low resistance to decay and insect attack, including dry-wood termites; lumber is particularly prone to blue stain. The wood is reported to air dry rapidly with only slight warping and checking. It works easily because of its low density; sometimes surfaces are fuzzy but it generally machines smoothly; one report indicates a difficulty in sanding. It is used for purposes such as plywood, fiberboard, particleboard, general carpentry, millwork, utility furniture, boxes and crates[
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.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-08. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Sapium+ciliatum>

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