Mangaba Rubber Tree, Mangabiera
Hancornia speciosa

Family: Apocynaceae

What it is like

Hancornia is native to South America (Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay). It contains only one known species, Hancornia speciosa, commonly called mangabeira, which produces fruits known as mangabas.

Hancornia speciosa is a deciduous Tree growing to 7 m (23ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 7

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in scrublands (caatinga) and barren lands in central Brazil. It grows naturally in regions with average temperatures between 24-26°C. The rainfall is 1,400 mm per year. It can grow in the temperature range of 15-43°C. It grows in sandy soils.

Southern and western S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Andes, Asia, Bolivia, Brazil, Malaysia, Paraguay, Peru, SE Asia, South America, Venezuela.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Edible Portion - raw or cooked. The fruit needs to be very ripe and soft (fallen to the ground) to be free of any latex or bitterness. Fully ripe fruits have a delicious, succulent, viscous, sweet, aromatic pulp. A pleasant subacid flavour. The fruit can also be made into a juice, sherbet, preserves etc. It is much esteemed as a marmalade in parts of Brazil. The fruit is 3 - 6cm in diameter.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The plant is an excellent remedy for bilious complaints.

Other

Rating: 3

The tree is a source of mangabeira rubber, which is of good quality and has in the past been exported from parts of Brazil. The wood is light, spongy, soft and easy to work with. It has little durability, even when protected from the weather. It is only used for making boxes and for fuel. Carbon Farming - Industrial Crop: hydrocarbon.

Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Climate: tropical. Humidity: semi-arid to humid. A plant of the 'Caatinga' dry forest region of northeast Brazil. The climate is hot and dry, there are usually 6 to 11 months without rain each year. The mean annual rainfall varies from 250 - 1,000mm, and the mean annual temperature is from 24 - 26°c. Requires a sunny position to be at its best. Grows best in a sandy soil, often growing in quite poor soils in the wild. Established plants are drought tolerant. Young plants grow slowly and are difficult to cultivate. A very variable plant, a number of varieties have been described. Plants grow slowly. Carbon Farming - Cultivation: regional crop. Management: standard.

Propagating it: Plants are grown from seed. The seeds from ripe fruit are removed and dried in the shade then planted. Seed - germinates easily. It is best sown as soon as it is ripe and, since it does not transplant very well, is best sown in individual containers. Germination rates are usually low, the seeds can be slow to sprout and also grow away slowly once they have sprouted.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Mangabeira, Mangabinha do norte, Manguba, Mangaba-da-restinga.

Synonyms

Hancornia gardneri Muell.Arg.; Hancornia lundii A DC.; Hancornia maximiliana A DC.; Hancornia pubescens Muell.Arg.; Ribeirea sorbilis Arr.Cam.; Echites glauca Roem. & Schult.;.