Protium subserratum
(Engl.) Engl.
Lisa Moreno
Lisa Moreno
Lisa Moreno
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit - aril
The aril (fleshy layer around the seeds) is eaten.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant.
Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, South America,
How to Identify
A tropical tree in the Burseraceae family with fruits featuring an edible aril.
How to Grow
Most, if not all, species in this genus are dioecious, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Other Uses
We have no specific information for this species, but many members of this genus are valued for the whitish and fragrant resin (suggesting incense) that exudes freely from the bark, and which hardens upon exposure to the air. Sapwood well defined, light pinkish brown and with fine, slightly darker brown veining; heartwood reddish brown. Wood straightgrained; medium-textured; of medium weight; fibrous, easy to cut, takes a highly lustrous polish; checks in drying, but fairly durable. The wood is sometimes used for general construction. We have no more information on the wood of this species, but a general description of the wood for tropical American members of this genus is as follows:- The heartwood is brown or reddish-brown, sometimes with irregularly spaced darker brown lines; it is not always sharply demarcated from the pale buff to pinkish sapwood. The texture varies from rather fine to fairly coarse; grain straight to very irregular and interlocked; lustre is rather high; dry specimens are without any distinctive odour or taste. Silica is reported for some species. The wood is generally reported to have a low resistance to attack by decay fungi and is vulnerable to dry-wood termites; it has no appreciable resistance to marine borers. Reports on seasoning vary from fairly easy to air dry to moderately difficult. Logs should be debarked prior to sawing to avoid resin accumulation on cutters and equipment. The dry wood works easily and rates fair to good in all operations; it cuts easily into veneers but tends to buckle on drying; some species are abrasive because of the silica content. The wood is used for purposes such as furniture, millwork, veneer and plywood, general construction, particleboard; it is a possible substitute for birch.
Names & Synonyms
Copal, Kiriwa'yw, Subserrate resintree
References (4)
- Grandtner, M. M. & Chevrette, J., 2013, Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press p 539
- 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 708
- Roa, J. A. G. & Boada, D. S. G., 2018, Fundación para el Fortalecimiento de la Fruticultura y Plantas Alimenticias no Convencionales en Colombia.
- Vasquez, R. and Gentry, A. H., 1989, Use and Misuse of Forest-harvested Fruits in the Iquitos Area. Conservation Biology 3(4): 350f
