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Useful Tropical Plants

Tabernaemontana alba

Mill.

Apocynaceae

+ Synonyms

Tabernaemontana amblyblasta S.F.Blake

Tabernaemontana amblyocarpa Urb.

Tabernaemontana berteroi parviflora A.DC.

Tabernaemontana chrysocarpa S.F.Blake

Tabernaemontana cymosa Sessé & Moc.

Tabernaemontana martensii Peyr.

Tabernaemontana paisavelensis Loes.

Tabernaemontana tuxtlensis Sessé & Moc.

Tabernaemontana umbellata Sessé & Moc.

Tabernaemontana veracrucensis Sessé & Moc.

Common Name:

Tabernaemontana alba
Flowering plant
Photograph by: Dick Culbert
Creative Commons License
Tabernaemontana alba Tabernaemontana alba Tabernaemontana alba Tabernaemontana alba

General Information

Tabernaemontana alba is a large shrub or a tree with a dense, spreading crown; it can grow up to 15 metres tall. The bole is round or somewhat fluted, up to 45cm in diameter but usually smaller[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild as a source of latex and wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

S. America - Colombia; C. America - Panama to central Mexico; Caribbean - Cuba; N. America - Florida.

Habitat

Wet or moist thickets or mixed forest, sometimes in open pine forest; most commonly at or near sea level, but also ascending to 600 metres[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Properties

HabitTree
Height12.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The fruit yields a large amount of white latex that coagulates readily when rubbed between the hands. It is reported to be used sometime for adulterating chicle, and is chewed locally like that substance[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The fruit yields a large amount of white latex that coagulates readily when rubbed between the hands[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

The yellowish white wood is sometimes utilized in construction of the poorer types of lowland dwellings[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-13. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Tabernaemontana+alba>

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