Moronobea coccinea has mistakenly been placed here as a synonym in the past. It is possible that some of the reports here refer to that species instead of Symphonia globulifera. Any reports from Africa are definitely for this species since the range of Moronobea coccinea does not extend to there[].

Common Name: Boarwood

General Information

Boarwood is a slow-growing, evergreen tree with a dense and narrow crown, that can grow 30 metres or more tall but is more commonly around 15 metres tall[, ]. The bole, which is sometimes supported on stilt roots, is long, straight and cylindrical, and can be more than 100cm in diameter[].
The tree has a wide range of uses, as a medicine, food and source of resin and wood. It is commonly harvested from the wild for local use and the timber has sometimes been exported. The tree is grown as an ornamental, being valued especially for its attractive red flowers[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical America - Brazil to Mexico; the Caribbean; Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Uganda, Angola

Habitat

Wet, often swampy forest, at or a little above sea level in Guatemala[]. Larger specimens usually grow in mixed evergreen, wet forests, whilst smaller specimens form nearly pure, often very extensive, stands in areas of freshwater swamps[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Boarwood is a tree of moist, tropical areas where it can be found at elevations from sea level up to 2,600 metres[]. It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature is 23 to 27°c and the mean annual rainfall is 650 - 5000 mm[, ].
Prefers a sunny position[]. Plants can grow in wet and seasonally inundated soils[].
The survival rate in plantations may be over 80%, but early growth is slow[]. In a forest improvement trial at 2,000 metres elevation in Rwanda surviving Symphonia globulifera showed a diameter growth of 0.8 cm/year and length growth of 0.7 m/year and good bole form 32 years after planting[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. A fleshy, acidulous, pleasantly tasting pericarp[]. The fruits, which are filled with a yellow resin, are the size of a pigeon's egg[].

Medicinal

The bark is taken as an appetizer, gentle laxative, stomachic and tonic[]. An extract of the bark is used to treat river blindness; coughs in children[]. The bark is used as an emetic to treat chest complaints[]. It is used as a gentle laxative for pregnant women[].
The boiled bark and roots are used as a wash to treat itch[]. An infusion of the bark is used to bathe ulcers[].

The resin is diuretic[]. It is taken internally to treat gonorrhoea[].
The resin is used externally to treat wounds; prevent skin infections and treat scabies[]. The latex is applied in a wrap on various dermatoses, particularly eczematous ones[].
When burned to ashes and then applied to recalcitrant ulcers of the abdomen and legs, the resinous latex is very effective in rapidly drying the infection[].

Sap from the leaves is sniffed up the nose to stop it bleeding[].

Other Uses

The bark and fruit contain a yellowish resin that becomes black and pitch-like upon exposure to air[]. It is used in some regions for caulking boats[]. The resin is used for making candles and torches[, ]. A cotton cord, well soaked into the freshly extracted resin and dried, is used as a torch which burns with a bright yellow light[].
A latex obtained from the bark is used as wax[].

The resin yields an ammonia-soluble khaki dye[].
The latex is hardened, burnt and the ash is used as paint[]

The heartwood is yellowish, greyish, or greenish brown, with a somewhat mealy appearance; it is clearly demarcated from the 4 - 8cm wide band of whitish sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or irregular; lustre medium to high; when freshly cut, the wood has a 'tarry' odour, but seasoned wood is free of any distinctive odour or taste. The wood is moderately hard and moderately heavy; it is moderately durable in the soil and has good durability in water, though it is susceptible to termites. The wood seasons at a normal rate, but with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is poorly stable in service. It is very easy to work, hardly dulling cutting edges, although it is somewhat harsh and splintery; in general it may be sawed, planed, turned, shaped, and bored without difficulty; it takes a high polish; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct. It is used for construction, flooring, panelling, carpentry, crates and boxes, railway sleepers etc[, , , ].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, when it germinates in less than 30 days in natural conditions at temperatures around 25 - 30°c[, ]. The seed requires shade for germination, and in closed forest propagation is by seed only; in open areas propagation is exclusively by root suckers[]. Young seedlings are shade tolerant, but require more light to grow and develop as they grow larger[].
The seed dies quickly upon dehydration, and all seeds die at temperatures below 12°c[]. Germinated seeds can be stored at 15°c under humid conditions for about a year and seedlings kept at this temperature develop slowly but resume normal growth when transferred to 25°c[].

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