Common Name:

General Information

Unonopsis guatterioides is an evergreen shrub or a tree with a dense, more or less globose crown; it usually grows from 1 - 10 metres tall, though can reach 25 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole is usually up to 20cm in diameter, but can reach 35cm[, ].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of fibre and wood.
Unonopsis guatterioides has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas.

Habitat

Gallery forests, periodically inundated forest, savannah and the transition zone between them, growing on clayey to sandy soils; at elevations up to 400 metres, occasionally to 875 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	5.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a sunny position[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The fruit consistis of 1 - 15, red to black, ellipsoid to globose monocarps each around 6 - 25mm x 6 - 15mm[].

Medicinal

The bark is used to treat snakebite[].
A decoction of the scented stem bark is used in an external wash as a treatment for fevers[].

The plant contains polycarpol[].

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the inner bark[].

The sapwood and heartwood are not clearly demarcated. The wood is light in weight with a low resistance to insect attack. Of low quality, it is only used for making light boxes[].
The wood is of low value as a fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Sow the treated seed as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate can be expected, even if the seed is treated, with the seed sprouting within 50 - 70 days[].

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