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Useful Tropical Plants

Ternstroemia tepezapote

Schltdl. & Cham.

Pentaphylacaceae

+ Synonyms

Mokofua seemannii (Triana & Planch.) Kuntze

Mokofua tepezapote (Schltdl. & Cham.) Kuntze

Taonabo oocarpa Rose

Taonabo seemannii (Triana & Planch.) Standl.

Taonabo sphaerocarpa Rose

Taonabo tepezapote (Schltdl. & Cham.) Szyszyl.

Ternstroemia hemsleyi Hochr.

Ternstroemia impressa Lundell

Ternstroemia oocarpa (Rose) Melch.

Ternstroemia peduncularis DC.

Ternstroemia peduncularis Seem.

Ternstroemia seemannii Triana & Planch.

Ternstroemia seleriana Loes.

Ternstroemia sphaerocarpa (Rose) Melch.

Common Name:

Ternstroemia tepezapote
Ripening fruits
Photograph by: A. Hernández; Center for Tropical Forest Science
© Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Ternstroemia tepezapote Ternstroemia tepezapote

General Information

Ternstroemia tepezapote is an evergreen shrub or tree with a rounded crown; usually growing from 2 - 15 metres tall, but with occasional specimens to 20 metres. The straight bole can be 30cm in diameter[
315
Title
Flora of Barro Colorado Island
Publication
 
Author
Croat. Thomas B.
Website
http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/bioinformatics/croat/home
Publisher
Stanford University Press
Year
1978
ISBN
0-8047-0950-5
Description
A very good flora of an area in Panama. Written some years ago, so some of the names have been changed. The book is out of print, but the whole flora is now available on the web.
,
333
Title
Tree Species of Panama
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
,
551
Title
A Century of Trees of Panama.
Publication
 
Author
Pittier H. Mell C.D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A work that was very difficult to get published according to the correspondence contained at the start!. A treatment of 100 different species with descriptions and details of uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a wood and medicine.

Known Hazards

The mashed bark is used to stupefy fish[
551
Title
A Century of Trees of Panama.
Publication
 
Author
Pittier H. Mell C.D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A work that was very difficult to get published according to the correspondence contained at the start!. A treatment of 100 different species with descriptions and details of uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Botanical References

315
Title
Flora of Barro Colorado Island
Publication
 
Author
Croat. Thomas B.
Website
http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/bioinformatics/croat/home
Publisher
Stanford University Press
Year
1978
ISBN
0-8047-0950-5
Description
A very good flora of an area in Panama. Written some years ago, so some of the names have been changed. The book is out of print, but the whole flora is now available on the web.
,
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/

Range

Central America - Panama to Mexico.

Habitat

Moist to wet forests at low to medium elevations in Panama[
333
Title
Tree Species of Panama
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
]. Moist or wet thickets or mixed forest or pine forest, sometimes on limestone, at elevations up to 3,150 metres in Guatemala[
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

Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height10.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of mainly moist to wet lowland areas in the tropics, though it can be found at elevations up to more than 3,000 metres in Guatemala.

The flowers have a pleasant anise-like aroma[
421
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 54
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
1967
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains parts of the Flora of Panama.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is astringent. A decoction is used as an antidote for snake bites[
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/
].

A tincture made from the flowers soaked in alcohol is used to kill lice in poultry[
333
Title
Tree Species of Panama
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
].

Other Uses

The heartwood is reddish; the thin band of sapwood very light red or slightly yellowish. The grain is straight and fine; lustre is low. The wood is moderately hard; heavy; fairly strong; brittle. It is not difficult to work; finishes smoothly; and takes a good polish[
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/
,
551
Title
A Century of Trees of Panama.
Publication
 
Author
Pittier H. Mell C.D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A work that was very difficult to get published according to the correspondence contained at the start!. A treatment of 100 different species with descriptions and details of uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. When available in sufficient size, the wood is used for construction[
333
Title
Tree Species of Panama
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
,
551
Title
A Century of Trees of Panama.
Publication
 
Author
Pittier H. Mell C.D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A work that was very difficult to get published according to the correspondence contained at the start!. A treatment of 100 different species with descriptions and details of uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The wood is used for firewood[
333
Title
Tree Species of Panama
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-04-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ternstroemia+tepezapote>

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