Bakuri, Bacuri
Platonia insignis

Family: Clusiaceae

What it is like

Commonly known as Bakuri, Platonia insignis, is tropical large tree growing about 25-40 m in height and 1.5 m across. It has a straight trunk, opposite branches, shiny leaves, and large pink flowers. The fruit of Bakuri is yellow when ripe, round, and comprised of thick rind and white flesh. The fruit can either be consumed raw or made into desserts. Bark decoction is used against diarrhea. Seed oil, when combined with sweet almond oil, is used in the treatment of eczema and herpes. It is also utilized in the soap and candles production. The bark yields fiber and black resin - the fiber is made into ropes while the resin is used as sealant in boats. Bakuri wood is heavy, elastic, moderately hard to hard, moderately strong, and resistant to attacks of dry-wood borers and termites.

Platonia insignis is an evergreen Tree growing to 25 m (82ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.

Height (m): 25

Where it is found

Seasonally flooded, humid forests. Found mainly in open, transitional vegetation, being rare in the dense forest.

S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Surinam.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Guyana; Suriname; French Guiana; Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of; Brazil, Amazon, Colombia, Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, South America, Suriname.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw or cooked to make sherbet, ice cream, marmalade or jelly. The white, pithy pulp has a pleasant odour and an agreeable, subacid flavour. The fruit is yellow when ripe, nearly round or ovoid, 75 - 125mm wide, weighing up to 900 g. The rind is yellow, hard, fleshy on the inside, 1 - 2 cm thick, and contains gummy, yellow, resinous latex. The infertile seed compartments are filled with pulp called 'filho 'which is the part preferred. The oil is unlikely to be edible.

Oil: Oil

Medicine

Rating: 2

The seeds contain 6 to 11% of an oil that is mixed with sweet almond oil and used to treat eczema and herpes. The bark is astringent. A decoction is used to treat diarrhoea.

Antidermatosic: Prevents or cures skin complaints.

Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.

Other

Rating: 3

Other Uses: A non-drying oil, known as 'bakuri oil', is obtained from the seed. It is used for the manufacture of candles and soap. A fibre obtained from the bark is used for cordage. A black, viscous resin obtained from the bark is used for caulking boats. The heartwood is dull-yellow to orange-brown with many fine, dark, often black streaks; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 9cm wide band of yellowish-white sapwood. The texture is coarse to medium; the grain generally straight but at times irregular; the lustre is low. The wood is heavy; moderately hard to hard; moderately strong; elastic; durable in the soil and resistant to dry-wood borers and termites. It seasons somewhat slowly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is poorly stable in service. It has a fairly high blunting effect, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; although hard, it is easy to work with both hand and power tools; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct for interior purposes only; it polishes well. It is valued for construction, high class furniture, flooring, ship-building and general carpentry.

Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.

Furniture: A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.

Lighting: Plants that can be used as torches etc. See also Oil and Wax.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Resin: Used in perfumery, medicines, paints, soap making etc. This also includes turpentine, which is extracted from many resins and used as a preservative, water proofer etc,

Soap making: Plants used as an ingredient in making soaps. Does not include the essential oils, dyes and oils that are also used in making soap.

String: Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.

Waterproofing: Does what it says. See also Pitch and Oil.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

A plant of the moist, lowland tropics. Succeeds in a sunny position. Plants are tolerant of various soil conditions, including poor drainage, but dislike dry soils. In some areas within its native range this tree is viewed as a weed because it proliferates from fallen seeds and, if felled, produces abundant suckers from the roots. A rather fast-growing tree. Bloom Color: Pink.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in individual containers. A high germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed sprouting within 20 - 40 days. The seed has a very short viability of less than 30 days in the wild.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

In some areas within its native range this tree is viewed as a weed because it proliferates from fallen seeds and, if felled, produces abundant suckers from the roots

Its other names

Local names

Bacupari, Bacuri, Bacuri assu, Bacuri do para, Bacury, Geelhart, Goherica, Ko, Maniballi, Packoeri, Pacuri, Pakoeri, Pakouri, Pakuri, Parcouri, Pacoury-uva, bacuripari

Synonyms

Aristoclesia esculenta (Arruda) Stuntz Moronobea esculenta Arruda Platonia esculenta (Arruda) Oken