Virola surinamensis
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| Virola surinamensis | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Magnoliales |
| Family: | Myristicaceae |
| Genus: | Virola |
| Species: | V. surinamensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Virola surinamensis (Rol. ex Rottb.) Warb.[1] |
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| Synonyms | |
Virola surinamensis (also called Baboonwood and Wild nutmeg) is a species of plant in the Myristicaceae family. It is found in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It has also been naturalized in the Caribbean.[2] Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical swamps, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Virola surinamensis grows 25–40 m tall.[2] The leaves are 10–22 cm long and 2–5 cm wide.[2] The fruits are ellipsoidal to subglobular, measuring about 13–21 mm long and 11–18 mm in diameter.[2]
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[edit] Uses
The tree has good wood and it is used industrially because of this.[2] Traditionally, the tree were used to treat worms of the intestine.[2] The Amazon Indians Waiãpi living in the West of Amapá State of Brazil, treat malaria with an inhalation of vapor obtained from leaves of Viola surinamensis.[3]
Virola surinamensis is popularly known as "mucuíba", "ucuuba" or "ucuúba do igapó"
The fruit contains lauric acid (78,000-115,000 ppm).
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Virola surinamensis information from NPGS/GRIN". www.ars-grin.gov. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?41806. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Translated version of http://www.plantes-botanique.be/e2-Myristicaceae-Virola-peruviana". translate.google.com. http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.plantes-botanique.be%2Fe2-Myristicaceae-Virola-peruviana&langpair=fr%7Cen&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
- ^ Journal of Ethnopharmacology Volume 67, Issue 3, 30 November 1999, Pages 313-319
[edit] Other references
- Americas Regional Workshop (Conservation & Sustainable Management of Trees, Costa Rica) 1998.
[edit] External links
- Virola surinamensis.
- 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 August 2007.
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