Ocotea sassafras
(Meisner) Mez
Brazilian sassafras
Wikimedia Commons - Daderot
Wikimedia Commons - Daderot
What to Eat
Edible parts: Bark - spice
The bark is used as a spice.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant.
Brazil, South America,
How to Identify
A tropical tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae) native to Brazil. The bark is used as a spice.
Medicinal Uses
The aromatic root and bark are antirheumatic, diuretic and sudorific. The leaves are diuretic.
Other Uses
An essential oil is obtained from the wood. Known as 'Brazilian Sassafras Oil', it is used in soaps, disinfectants, deodorants, sprays etc. The oil is used as a source of safrol, which is isolated and then converted into heliotropine. An essential oil is contained in the leaves and flowers. Contained in smaller quantities than in the wood, but said to be of better quality. A delicate scent, it is much desired by the perfumery industry. The aromatic wood is yellowish-green, sometimes dark gray, always with darker veins and blotches. Resistant to compression. It is used for naval and general construction, applications in damp places, railway sleepers, floorboards etc.
Names & Synonyms
References (1)
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 577
