Brazil Beauty-Leaf
Calophyllum brasiliense

Family: Clusiaceae

What it is like

Brazil beauty-leaf or Calophyllum brasiliense is an evergreen tree that reaches up to 45 m tall native to Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.It has a dense, rounded crown and long, straight bole that is generally not buttressed. The leaves are opposite, leathery, and hairless. The scented flowers have four white petals and are grouped in panicles. The fruit is a globular drupe. It is poisonous but can be burnt as bio-fuel. Medicinally, Brazil beauty-leaf is used against ulcer and gastritis, prostate damages, sunburn, etc. Its oil known as ?tamanu oil? is used in cosmetics. The timber of Brazil beauty-leaf is highly valued similar to mahogany. It is moderately heavy, strong, durable, and resistant to fungi and dry wood bores and is used in construction, bridgework, furniture, flooring, etc. Common trade names of the wood of the Calophyllum brasiliense are: Jacare?ba, Guanandi and Arbol de Santa Maria. Also known as: Landim, Olandim, Landi, Cedro do Pantano, 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.

Calophyllum brasiliense is an evergreen Tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid, very alkaline and saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 30

Where it is found

Found in subtropical moist forests, lowland evergreen rainforests and lower montane rainforests, where it forms part of the canopy.

Northern S. America from Brazil northwards to Mexico and the West Indies.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, South America, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Venezuela.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Oil: Oil

Medicine

Rating: 2

The resin obtained from the crushed or cut bark, called bals'mo de mar'a, has been used medicinally. A decoction of the trunk bark, combined with the root-bark of Coutarea hexandra, is used as an antidiabetic and vermifuge. The plant (part not specified) is used to dress sores, and as a headache remedy. The plant contains xanthones, including guanandine, isoguanandine and jacareubine.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.

Other

Rating: 4

Other uses rating: High (4/5). Agroforestry Uses: In the West Indies, it is planted as a shade tree for coffee and cacao and for windbreaks. It has been used to stabilize soils and to relieve soil compaction in degraded pastures. Other Uses: Oil has been extracted from the seeds. A yellowish-green essential oil is obtained from the wood, called Sandalo Ingles in Brazil. The heartwood is pink or yellowish pink to brick red or rich reddish-brown, marked with fine darker red striping; the 5 - 7cm wide band of sapwood is lighter in colour but not always clearly differentiated. The texture is medium and fairly uniform; the grain is generally interlocked but sometimes is straight; lustre is medium; odour and taste are not distinctive. The wood is moderately heavy; soft to moderately hard; strong, and fairly durable, being resistant to fungi and dry wood borers, though very susceptible to attack by dry-wood termites and not resistant to marine bores. It is rather slow to season, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It is rather easy to work, usually yielding smooth surfaces if straight-grained though it usually tears and chips if the grain is interlocked. It is below average in planing, turning and boring; takes nails and screws well so long as it is pre-bored; glues correct. An attractive wood, it is similar to mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and has comparable uses. One of the most used woods in the American tropics, it is used for general construction, bridgework, railway ties, general wheelwright's work, dugouts, heavy carts, canoes, general shipbuilding, shingles, flooring, interior construction, and furniture. It is a good general utility wood where a fairly strong and moderately durable timber is required. The wood produces a fair quality face veneer but is not used extensively for this purpose because of the mechanical problems in veneer-cutting operations.

Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.

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

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.

Soil reclamation: Plants that can be grown in such circumstances an the spoil tips of mines in order to restore fertility.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

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

Brazil beauty leaf grows in the moister lowland and lower montane areas of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 15 - 38°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 6,000mm, but tolerates 1,200 - 7,000mm. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade. A very tolerant plant, it occurs in nearly all the soil types. It seems to grow best on wet, humid, sites, but also grows well on pure sand and rock sandstone. In Puerto Rico, it occurs naturally on the north coast on sandy soils of the orders inceptisols, oxisols and alfisols. It has been planted on deep clays and serpentine soils in the mountains, and in shallow limestone soils near the coast. It does well on degraded sites, and is very resistant to salt and salt-laden winds. Established plants are very drought tolerant. Some trees bear fruit when only 3 years old.

Propagating it: Seed - the tough endocarp inhibits water uptake and so germination will be hastened if this is broken with a hammer prior to sowing. Fresh seeds can be sown in situ directly into the soil, or in a seedbed. Average germination is about 70%. Seedlings transplant successfully when they are moved with a ball of earth, a task best carried out in the rainy season. Seeds stored for 1 year in a dry room have germinated fairly well. Fruits should not be stored at a temperature below 0°c., and the water content of the fruit should not be lower than 35%.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

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

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The fruit is poisonous.

This plant can be weedy or invasive. Some evidence of weedy potential in Florida, USA.

Its other names

Local names

Brazil beauty-leaf or Calophyllum brasiliense. Common trade names of the wood of the Calophyllum brasiliense are: Jacareœba, Guanandi and çrbol de Santa Maria. Also known as: Landim, Olandim, Landi, Cedro do P‰ntano, 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.

Synonyms

Calophyllum antillanum Britton. Calophyllum calaba Jacq. Calophyllum ellipticum Rusby Calophyllum ja