Picrasma excelsa Planch.

Bitterwood (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Sapindales > Simaroubaceae > Picrasma

Characteristics

A shrub or tree. It grows 6-25 m tall.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality -
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 20.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Hill pastures, relict woodland and along the sides of roads at elevations from 90-825 metres. Tropical forests and near water.
More
A tropical plant. It grows between 90-825 m above sea level. It grows in forests and near water.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 3-6
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 10-12

Usage

An extract from the wood is used in bitter tonics and liqueurs. It is also use commercially to flavour baked goods, candies, and frozen dairy products. It has been used to increase the bitterness or orange marmalade. It has been used as a substitute for hops.
Uses food material medicinal poison wood
Edible barks
Therapeutic use Epithelioma (unspecified), Fever (unspecified), Insecticide (unspecified), Narcotic (unspecified), Piscicide (unspecified), Stomachic (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Vermifuge (unspecified), Digestive (unspecified), Dysentery (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from fresh seeds and by semi-ripe cuttings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Picrasma excelsa leaf picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)
Picrasma excelsa leaf picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)
Picrasma excelsa leaf picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Fruit

Picrasma excelsa fruit picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)
Picrasma excelsa fruit picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)
Picrasma excelsa fruit picture by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Distribution

Picrasma excelsa world distribution map, present in Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Barbados, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, French Guiana, Honduras, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Mozambique, Montserrat, Martinique, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, United States of America, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Conservation status

Picrasma excelsa threat status: Vulnerable

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:813955-1
WFO ID wfo-0000474761
COL ID 4HQLB
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 630410
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Picrasma excelsa Picrasma antillana Picraena antillana Picraena excelsa Picrita fraxinea Aeschrion excelsa Muenteria excelsa Simarouba excelsa Quassia excelsa Quassia pentandra Rhus antillana Aeschrion antillana Quassia polygama Aeschrion excelsa var. microcarpa