Wanania, Arataweri
Minquartia guianensis

Family: Olacaceae

What it is like

Minquartia guianensis is a flowering, evergreen tree that can be found in South America and is growing up to 33 m tall and up to 120 cm in trunk diameter. The trunk is cylindrical and straight and the crown is short and oval. The flowers are in spikes located at the leaf axils. The fruit is narrowly oval, green when young and turns yellow to red when ripe. It is edible. The bark is used medicinally against malaria, colds, and intestinal parasites. It exudes white latex when damaged. The wood is used in poles and posts.

Minquartia guianensis is an evergreen Tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 20

Where it is found

Rainforests, in both primary and secondary formations, most commonly in sites not liable to seasonal inundation, growing in both sandy and clayey soils at elevations from sea level to 1,000 metres.

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua.

Conservation Status: Status: Lower Risk/near threatened

Countries/locations it is found in

Bolivia, Plurinational State of; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; French Guiana; Guyana; Nicaragua; Panama; Peru; Suriname; Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of; Brazil, South America.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 2

The bark has been used in the treatment of malaria, intestinal parasites, and colds.

Malaria: Treats malaria - an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites spread to people through the bites of mosquitos.

Parasiticide: Treats external parasites such as ringworm This should perhaps be joined with Parasiticide in

Other

Rating: 4

Agroforestry Uses: In agroforestry trials in Peru, the best establishment and growth of this tree was observed where seedlings were mixed with plantains, or on the borders of the field where neighbouring taller vegetation provided partial shade. A comparison between individuals in agroforestry trials and those in natural forests found that larger DBHs were obtained in agroforestry at a given height and that diameter growth was also higher in agroforestry trees, showing that this species can establish and thrive under these conditions. Plants grown in these agroforestry trials flowered and fruited from the age of approximately 6 years, and the fertile periods in both the flood plain and terra firma trials coincided more or less with the pattern observed in natural flood plain forests. On the basis of the results from this it was concluded that without silvicultural measures to enhance the density and growth of Minqurtia guianensis, there is only a limited ability of natural flood plain forests to supply the wood of this species. Other Uses The fissured bark exudes a white latex when cut. The wood is fine-textured, irregular-grained, very heavy and almost impervious to rot. A valuable timber, it is very hard to cut but is much used for external purposes such as poles, posts etc. The wood is exceptionally durable and has been reported to have lasted 30 - 40 years in the ground without any signs of decay. It is resistant to attacks from fungus and termites. Because of this exceptional durability, it has been extracted for subsistence and commercial purposes, mainly for posts and poles in construction.

Latex: A source of rubber.

Parasiticide: Kills external body parasites such as hair lice.

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

How it is grown

Prefers a position in some shade.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. A low germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed sprouting within 30 - 40 days. When the seedbed sown seedlings are 4 - 5cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out 8 - 9 months later.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

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

Shade: Full shade, semi-shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Wanania, Arataweri, Alata-oedoe, Maka, Cuajado, Cuajado negro, Criollo, Crillio negro, Aquariquara roxa, black manwood, huacapu, huacapú, huambula, paini, wambula.

Synonyms

Eganthus poeppigii Tiegh. Endusa punctata Radlk. Minquartia macrophylla Ducke Minquartia parvifolia