Common Name: Red Louro

General Information

Red louro is an evergreen tree with an erect-spreading, heavy-branched and rounded, compact crown; usually growing around 30 metres tall, but with some specimens up to 40 metres[]. The bole is unbuttressed, but is generally swollen at the base; it is unbranched for the first 12 - 24 metres and usually 60 - 90cm in diameter, but with some specimens up to 150cm; taper is often heavy, especially in trees under 60cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its timber, which is used locally and also traded.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas, north to Trinidad.

Habitat

Rainforests[]. Occasional to frequent in rainforests on sandy or loamy soils in Guyana[]. Lowland, marsh and rain forests[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is light reddish-brown with a golden sheen, with a well-defined, narrow sapwood that is dull gray or pale, yellowish-brown[]. The texture is coarse, uniform, and with numerous tyloses showing as shiny deposits in the vessels; the grain is either straight or roey; green wood has a pungent odour, but dry wood is without distinctive odour or taste; the wood is unusually free of knots and other defects[]. The wood is strong, heavy, moderately hard, durable to very durable and resistant to insects[, ]. It has excellent working properties with both hand and machine tools; it glues easily and polishes fairly well, although its coarse texture requires the use of fillers; weathering characteristics are very good, unpainted wood can be exposed to the elements with virtually no checking or warp and only a moderate loss of surface smoothness[]. The heartwood is unusually resistant to the absorption of moisture, surpassing teak in this respect[, , ]. The wood is used within its range for furniture of all types: greenhouse sash framing, sugar boxes, interior and exterior construction, boat planking, punt masts, packing boxes, cart and truck bodies, turned articles, cabinetwork, drawing boards, dowel rods, and other uses. Dugout canoes are also made from it because of its large size and resistance to splitting. The wood’s natural resistance to moisture absorption should promote its use for boat parts, tanks, vats, tight, cooperage, and other similar items. Its resistance to teredo, termites, and decay should also fit the timber for use in heavy durable construction, piling and marine construc-
tion, and for uses in contact, with the ground where durability is essential. The timber has also been recommended for plywood and veneer. Having good bending qualities, the wood is recommended for bent parts in furniture, boats, and
other items[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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