Calophyllum brasiliense

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Please improve this article if you can. (May 2007)

Calophyllum brasiliense

Flowers

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Clusiaceae
Subfamily:	Kielmeyeroideae
Tribe:	Calophylleae
Genus:	Calophyllum
Species:	C. brasiliense

Binomial name

Calophyllum brasiliense
Cambess.

Calophyllum brasiliense (Guanandi) is a species of Calophyllum native to subtropical and tropical regions of Central and South America, from southern Mexico south to Bolivia, Paraguay and southern Brazil.^[1]

It is an evergreen tree growing to 20–50 m tall, with a trunk up to 1.8 m diameter, and a dense, rounded crown. The leaves are opposite, 6.3–12.5 cm long and 3.2–6.3 cm broad, elliptic to oblong or obovate, leathery, hairless, glossy green above, paler below, with an entire margin. The flowers are 10–13 mm diameter, with four white sepals (two larger, and two smaller), and one to four white petals smaller than the sepals; the flowers are grouped in panicles 2.5–9 cm long. The fruit is a globular drupe 25–30 mm diameter.^[2]^[3]

It is very common in Brazil, from Santa Catarina to Pará, and also in Pantanal and in the Amazon; they are also common in Peru, Bolivia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico ,puerto Rico, Trinidad, Belize, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia. It occurs between sea level and 1200 meters, many times in pure forests (this capacity in uncommon in tropical trees). Its natural dispersion occurs by water and fishes, monkeys and mainly by bats. It is possibly the most geographic naturally dispersed off all global trees.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

This section does not cite any references or sources. (May 2007)
Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

The substitution of irregular, illegal cutting of Amazon trees by using forested trees as Guanandi is proven to be very positive to preserve this important biomes; To cut and transport a single Mahogany, in the Amazon, 30 other trees are destroyed, because Mahogany does not occur in pure stands, as Guanandi does; This substitution is possible because Europeans, Japanese and Americans conscientious buyers are beginning to understand the problem of conserve Amazon forest; so they need to accept paying more for reforested wood; Moreover, the radicular system of trees as Guanandi raises the freatic sheet; it recoups and fertilizes the ground where he is planted. The wood of Guanandi and other speed growth quality timber trees promises to be very important commodities.

Guanandi word comes from the Tupy (a Brazilian Indian folk) language, means "soap that glues", in function of the yellow latex (balsam) of the rind, known as Jacareubin; It has the following medicinal uses: Against ulcer and gastritis; To avoid prostate damages. For skin cicatrization; against solar burning. In combat to molluscs that transmit "doença de Chagas" parasite. Some American and Asian universities also study the effect in reduction of cancer tumors. In addition, Terracom labs in a joint venture to Sarawak Medichen in Indonesia are providing patent for the use of Calanolide A and Calanolide B, present in the latex and in the leaves of Calophyllum as AIDS inhibitors.

It is used in the cosmetic and dermatological industry, the oil being known as tamanu oil, for skin cleaning, and against skin wrinkles, after tattoo skin care. The fruit is composed of 44% of oil, and it can be burnt as bio-fuel. There are dozens of references about calophyllum oil active properties, from pre Colombian Incas and Aztecs in Latin America, to Asian and Polynesian Islands.

Common trade names of the wood of the Calophyllum brasiliense are: Jacareúba, Guanandi and Árbol de Santa Maria. Also known as: Landim, Olandim, Landi, Cedro do Pântano, Guanandi-Cedro(Brazil), Arary, Ocure, Cachicamo, Balsamaria, Aceite Mario, Palomaria or Pallomaria, Brazil beauty leaf (Brazilian pretty leaf) and even of Alexander Laurel, or crown of parrots of Alexander, for the beauty of its leaves.

In São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, some cities have plantations of Guanandi, with about one million trees planted. The same occur in UNA, south of Bahia state, where some guanandi tree farms have already started theirs production.

[edit] References

^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Calophyllum brasiliense
^ AgroForestry Tree Database: Calophyllum brasiliense
^ Flores, E. M. Flora of Costa Rica: Calophyllum brasiliense (pdf file)

cilindrical Guanandis, Sao paulo botanic garden	evergreen - not deciduous, oposite & simetric Leaves	Callophyllum means Beautiful leaves.	Fruit with soap
Fruit with apparent seed	Leaves and fruits	Fruits & seeds	Fruits
big Guanandi tree, Antonina-PR, southern Brazil	big one, Antonina-PR, southern Brazil	big one, Paranaguá-PR, southern Brazil	Guanandi trunk, Bertioga-SP, Brazil
very cylindrical trunk, Paranaguá	very cylindrical trunk, Bertioga	cilindrical Guanandi, Juréia park, Itariri-SP, Brazil	very cylindrical trunk
Guanandi with flowers	Masculine flowers	Guanandi is capable to change sex, from masculine flowers...	...to Hermaphrodite flowers
Fecunded when open hermaphrodite flower	fecunded flower detail	croast	a lot of vegetal life in a Guanandi tree
Seedling germination, efficient	Natural germination	Bark, timber, and parquets	Evergreen efficient and speedy growth
Leaves	Leaf detail	after summer rains, strong leaf production	new leaves after rain
Mature fruit extracted by ants	Fruit	Ants take it all...	...and use it to harvest fungi
Two years old planted Guanandi receiving hummingbirds eggs	Amazon bird Tirannus savanna at Guanandi planted tree	Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia in Guanandi near Iguape, SP	red Lady bird Cycloneda sanguinea in Guanandi leaf
Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia in Guanandi	Wasps in Guanandi planted tree	Hummingbirds nest in Guanandi planted tree	Arara Canindé, Brazilian blue & gold Macaw, in Guanandi tree
Joao-de-Barro Furnarius rufus in Guanandi	Brazilian Blue Parrots Anodorhynchus glaucus couple in Guanandi tree	Croast similar to brazilian alligator jacare....so named Jacaré-uba	jacaré do papo amarelo Caiman latirostris
hummingbirds nest	(bugio) black Howler monkey - Alouatta pigra -	Two Guanandis in flooded Brazilian Pantanal	butterfly search nectar in planted Guanandi
Guanandis on sand, Bertioga Brazil	Jacareubin, latex, a medicinal and dermatological phenomenon	An adult tree, in a pure Guanandi forest, in Bertioga-Brazil	Paisagistic use of Guanandi trees, Brazil
Paisagistic use of Guanandi trees, Bertioga, Brazil	Paisagistic use of Guanandi trees, Bertioga, Brazil	Paisagistic use of Guanandi trees, Santos, Brazil	Paisagistic use of Guanandi trees, Bertioga, Brazil
Paisagistic use of Guanandi trees, Sao Paulo, parque aclimação, Brazil	Paisagistic use of Guanandi trees, Guatemala	Paisagistic use of Guanandi trees, Panama	in a park in Cuba
One meter diameter bark detail	Looking for sunlight, Guanandi roots in sandy soil	An adult Guanandi	Guanandi trunk showing timber
Guanandi slice, undistinguished alburne	Natural unfinished Guanandi timber	Kitchen use Guanandi timber	harvest guanandi culture nursery, Mococa, Brazil
paisagistical use	Guanandi	harvested	harvested Guanandi
harvesting Guanandis	harvesting Guanandis	harvesting Guanandis	harvesting Guanandis
harvesting Guanandis	harvested	natural selection	natural selection in harvesting process
Wood, showing end grain	Timber very similar to Mahogany	Floor, also known as Santa Maria	Timber, similar to genuine Mahogany
"Pilão" made of a single Guanandi trunk - Varnish finished	Pilão - Guanandi - Varnish finished - natural interior	Parquets in Guanandi	Canoa - Guanandi trunk used as boat
for electric cable suport	table and chairs in Guanandi timber	table & chairs	excellent finishing of timber
medicianal soap from Guanandi croast	hypsipyla larva attacks cedar & mahogany, but not Guanandi