Edible Parts: Fruit  Inner bark
Edible Uses: Drink  Gum  Tea

Fruit - raw or cooked[301 ]. The dry, whitish-yellow pulp around the seed has a sweet flavour and is commonly eaten raw; used in making custards and ice cream; and fermented into an alcoholic beverage[301 ]. It is eaten like sweets by children in Jamaica[301 ]. The protein content is high for a fruit[301 ]. The pulp contains 3.2% sugar, 1.1% fat, and 35.8% crude fibre[303 ]. It has its own peculiar smell and sweet flavour, slightly reminiscent of bananas, and is generally considered pleasant but not very attractive[303 ]. The texture is that of dry flour turning to a paste in the mouth, and some people find this unpleasant[303 ]. It is very dry and largely starchy, so it is a good source of calories[303 ]. The fruit is an indehiscent oblong pod, 5 - 15cm long and 3-5cm wide, containing 3 - 4 large seeds[303 , 791 ]. A tea made from the bark is a quite popular drink for lumberjacks working in the forests in Brazil, because it is a natural energy tonic[303 ].

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Analgesic  Antidiarrhoeal  Antifungal  Balsamic  Depurative  Febrifuge  Haemostatic  Laxative  
Mouthwash  Pectoral  Stomachic  Tonic  Urinary  Vermifuge

The bark is analgesic, astringent, balsamic, depurative, febrifuge, haemostatic, pectoral, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge[303 , 348 , 739 ]. It is commonly used in local folk medicine as a cure-all, being especially useful for coughs. Besides being used to give energy and stamina, a tea made from the bark has been used for centuries as a tonic for the respiratory and urinary systems by the indigenous people of the Amazon Basin. The tea is also used internally to treat stomach problems and back pains, as well as externally for athlete?s foot and foot fungus[303 , 348 ]. It is known for its ability to fight fungus and yeast infections such as Candida albicans[303 ]. The macerated bark is used as a treatment for diarrhoea[303 ]. The bark, sap or resin, and leaves are used medicinally for cystitis, hepatitis, prostatitis and cough[303 ]. The sap is used for treating coughs and bronchitis[303 ]. The resin and sap exuding from bore-holes in the bark is considered fortifying[739 ]. It is used for treating chronic cystitis, urine retention, anaemia, prostatitis, blennorrhagia and chronic bronchitis[739 ]. The resin and sap are used externally for treating fresh wounds[348 , 739 ]. The solid resin found at the base of the tree is balsamic, bechic, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge[739 ]. The fruit has a mild laxative effect[739 ]. It is also used to treat mouth ulcers[303 ]. The leaves and wood are used in the treatment of diabetes[303 ].

Charcoal  Furniture  Gum  Resin  Tannin  Varnish  Wood

Large shade tree. Public open space. Xerophytic. Other Uses: The roots and trunk yield a pale yellow or red resin-like gum known commercially as 'South American copal'[303 , 378 ]. The gum exudes and forms hard lumps that become buried in the soil at the base of a tree. Sometimes as much as a barrel of gum has been found around the roots of a large tree or at the site of a former tree. The gum is used mainly in varnish but also for incense and local medicines[303 , 378 ]. The copal is also used for patent leather and in stains for tin ware[303 ]. About 35 tonnes/year are collected in Brazil for local use[303 ]. The thick bark is a good source of tannin[303 ]. The bark was traditionally used by S. American tribes to make lightweight canoes[307 ]. The hard, durable, tough wood is one of the best from the region. The heartwood is salmon pink to orange-brown when fresh, becoming russet to reddish-brown when seasoned, often marked with dark streaks; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 12cm wide band of white, grey, or pinkish sapwood. Texture is medium to rather coarse; grain mostly interlocked; lustre is golden; it is without distinctive odour or taste. The wood is heavy to very heavy; hard to very hard; elastic; durable, even in contact with the soil, being resistant to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons normally, with only a slight risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable to stable in service. The wood has a fairly high blunting effect, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; except in planing, it can be machined to a smooth surface; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct for interior use only, but needs to be done with care because of the density of the wood. The wood has a wide range of applications, including for high class furniture, cabinet making, construction, heavy duty flooring, ship building, carving, turnery, tool handles etc[303 , 848 ]. The wood is used as a fuel and to make charcoal[791 ]

Special Uses

Carbon Farming  Food Forest