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Herbs & Plants

Lecythis corrugata

Botanical Name: Lecythis corrugata
Family: Lecythidaceae
Subfamily:Lecythidoideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ericales

Synonyms:
*Bergena Adans.
*Cercophora Miers
*Chytroma Miers
*Holopyxidium Ducke
*Sapucaya R.Knuth
*Pachylecythis Ledoux

*Lecythis rosea Spruce ex O.Berg
*Chytroma rosea (Spruce ex O.Berg) Miers ex
*Eschweilera conduplicata A.C.Sm.
*Bertholletia minor M.Choisy

Common Names: Mahot rouge, Guacharaco ( Venezuela: Cabullo, Kumaiteka (Arekuna language), Tabari (Arekuna language).

Habitat: Lecythis corrugata is native to South. America – northern Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas. It is a common plant of rain forests and marsh forests, especially along the sides of water courses.

Description:
Lecythis corrugata is an evergreen tree with a fairly long, narrow crown; it can grow up to 30 metres tall. The bole has shallow, longitudinal furrows, it can be unbranched for 12 metres or more, around 40cm in diameter with buttresses at the base.Leaf blades narrowly to widely elliptic, oblong to widely oblong, or narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 8-18.5 x4-9.5 cm, the adaxial surface with conspicuous, longitudinally oriented striations; secondary veins in 17-23 pairs. Calyx-lobes 5.5-8 x 3.5-5 mm . It flowers most profusely from Nov to Jan but flowering collections have also been made from Feb to Apr and in Sep.The flowers are pollinated by Bees, insects. The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and as a source of wood.

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Cultivation & propagation: This plant grows well in rain forests. they are propagated through seeds.

Medicinal Uses:
An infusion of the bark is used to treat diarrhoea.
A decoction of the bark is poured onto cuts in order to accelerate the healing process.
Other Uses
The inner bark is long and stiingy like that of the Lime-tree (Tilia spp.). The inner bark of the lime is a source of fibre .

The heartwood is a reddish or greyish-brown; it is not clearly demarcated from the 4cm wide band of light brown sapwood. The grain is fine and dense, the wood cold and smooth to the touch with a peculiar smell when worked, but no discernible taste when seasoned. It is heavy; hard, becoming harder with age; exceedingly strong and hard to break transversely; durable to very durable. There are differing reports on its ability to resist the attacks of toredo and barnacles. It is widely recognized for its high resistance to marine borers. The wood is very hard to saw and plane; it is fissile, taking nails badly; it turns and polishes indifferently, except in the best qualities; it cleaves straight. The wood is not very ornamental, but can be used for house-framing, wharves and sluices.

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

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecythis
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lecythis+corrugata
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Lecythis+corrugata
http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/projects/lp/taxon-details/?irn=133650

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