Categories
Herbs & Plants

Myroxylon Pereiræ

[amazon_link asins=’B00ZE9UUHK,B00KC0U88W,B01LQF4Y6S,B00LLLPKW0,B01G8ZU3HK,B01MXI6ZER,B00SI5DX08,B00SI5DTNY,B01N4L30AE’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a183a8c9-6789-11e7-aee5-a180c5cc1f9a’]

Botanical Name :Myroxylon Pereiræ
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Amburaneae
Genus: Myroxylon
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales

Synonyms: Toluifera Pereira. Myrosperum Pereira.

Common Names :Balsam of Peru, Quina or Balsamo.

Other names:  Tolu in Colombia, Quina quina in Argentina; in lumber trade, sometimes named Santos Mahogany.

Habitat:Myroxylon Pereiræ is native to Central America in the forests of San Salvado.

Description:
Myroxylon Pereiræ is a large tree growing to 40 metres (130 ft) tall, with evergreen pinnate leaves 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long with 5-13 leaflets.
It is a beautiful tree with a valuable wood like mahogany, and a straight smooth trunk; the last is coarse grey, compact, heavy granulated and a pale straw colour, containing a resin which changes from citron to dark brown; smell and taste balsamic and aromatic. Leaves alternately, abruptly pinnate, leaflets two pairs mostly opposite, ovate, lanceolate with the end blunt emarginate; every part of the tree including the leaves abounds in a resinous juice. The flowers are white with yellow stamens, produced in racemes. The fruit is a pod 7–11 centimetres (2.8–4.3 in) long, containing a single seed.The mesocarp of the fruit is fibrous, and the balsamic juice which is abundant is contained in two distinct receptacles, one on each side. The beans contain Coumarin, the husks an extremely acrid bitter resin, and a volatile oil; a gum resin, quite distinct from the proper balsam, exudes from the trunk of the tree and contains gum resin and a volatile oil; the tree commences to be productive after five or six years, and continues to yield for thirty years; the flower has a fragrance which can be smelt a hundred yards away.
click to see the pictures
The wood is dark brown with a deep red heartwood. Natural oils grant it excellent decay resistance. In fact, it is also resistant to preservative treatment. Its specific gravity is 0.74 to 0.81.

As regards woodworking, this tree is regarded as moderately difficult to work but can be finished with a high natural polish; it tends to cause some tool dulling.

Medicinal Uses:

Part Used: Oleoresinous liquid.

Constituents: A colourless, aromatic, oily liquid, termed cinnamein, dark resin peruviol, small quantity of vanillin and cinnamic acid.

Uses: Stimulant, expectorant, parasiticide. Used in scabies and skin diseases; it destroys the itch acarus and its eggs, and is much to be preferred to sulphur ointment, also of value in prurigo, pruritis and in later stages of acute eczema. It is a good antiseptic expectorant and a stimulant to the heart, increasing blood pressure; its action resembles benzoic acid. It is applied externally to sore nipples and discharges from the ear. Given internally, it lessens mucous secretions, and is of value in bronchorrhoea gleet, leucorrhoea and chronic bronchitis, and asthma. It is also used in soap manufacturing, for its fragrance, and because it makes a soft creamy lather, useful for chapped hands. Balsam of Peru can be applied alone or as an ointment made by melting it with an equal weight of tallow.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myroxylon
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/b/balofp06.html

Enhanced by Zemanta

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

css.php