Common Name:

General Information

Tetragastris panamensis is an evergree tree; it can grow 12 - 35 metres tall The straight bole can be unbranched for 10 metres or more and 50 - 60cm in diameter[, , , , , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Guatemala

Habitat

Moist or wet, mixed forests, at elevations around sea level in Guatemala[]. Rainforests, on land not subject to seasonal inundation, at elevations up to 1,000 metres in Peru[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

We have no specific information for this plant, but the fruits of Tetragastris species are generally red, opening at maturity to expose a stone with an edibe, sweet white covering that attracts animals like pacas, peccaries and tortoises, which disperse some seeds throughout the forest. Forest people snack on the white pulp when the stones fall[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is light brown to orangey-yellow, sometimes with frequent small, black, resinous spots; it is clearly demarcated from the 4 - 6cm wide band of orange-yellow sapwood. Texture is fine, the grain interlocked; lustre medium; no perceptible odour or taste once seasoned. The wood is heavy, hard, of moderate elasticity, moderately durable, with resistance to attacks by fungi, dry wood borers and termites. The drying rate is normal to slow with a high risk of distortion or checking; once dry it is poorly stable in service. Sawing and machining are nore or less easy, but with a fairly high blunting effect - stellite-tipped sawteeth are recommended. Nailing and screwing are good, though pre-boring is necessary to avoid splitting; gluing is correct. The wood is used for industrial or heavy flooring, furniture, interior stairs, joinery, heavy carpentry, bridges etc[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?