American muskwood
Guarea guidonia

Family: Meliaceae

What it is like

A shrub or tree. The trunk is straight but branches often. The leaves are compound with an even number of leaflets along the stalk. There are usually 8-10 pairs of narrow opposite leaflets. They are pointed at the tip. The fruit is a capsule with 4 or 5 valves. The seeds are covered with an orange red pulp.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the forest. In Argentina it grows below 500 m below sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guiana, Greater Antilles, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Martinique, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, North America, Paraguay, South America, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, USA, Venezuela, West Indies

How it is used for food

Small drops of the toxic sap are added to a fermented drink made form cassava to increase the alcohol content. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. Occasionally the pulp of the fruit is eaten.

Edible parts

Caution - toxic, sap, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Amor seco, Atapio, Atapuo, Bilibili, Cabilma, Cabima, Cabirme, Carnonero, Cedro blanco, Cedron trompillo, Latapi, Maoapolan, Paujil ruru, Pialde, Sambo cedro, Shuina, Tocota, Trompeto, Trompillo, Urcu requia, Villo villo, Yamagua, Yamao, Yancau, Yantsan

Synonyms

Guarea alba C.DC.; Guarea alternans C.DC.; Guarea andreana C.DC.; Guarea aubletii A.Juss.; Guarea bahiensis Klotzsch; Guarea bilibil C.DC.; Guarea cabirme C.DC.; Guarea campestris C.DC.; Guarea eggersii C.DC.; Guarea francavillana C.DC.; Guarea guara (Jacq.) P.Wilson; Guarea leticiana Harms; Guarea multiflora A.Juss.; Guarea multijuga A.Juss.; Guarea parva C.DC.; Guarea puberula Pittier; Guarea purgans A.St.-Hil.; Guarea racemiformis S.F.Blake; Guarea rubescens C.DC.; Guarea rubicalyx S.Moore; Guarea rubricalyx S.Moore; Guarea rubrisepala Cuatrec.; Guarea rusbyi (Britton) Rusby; Guarea surinamensis Miq. ex C.DC.; Guarea swartzii Macfad. non DC.; Guarea sylvestris S.Moore; Guarea trichilioides L.; Guarea trichilioides var. brachystachya C.DC.; Guarea trichilioides var. colombiana C.DC.; Guarea trichilioides var. decandra C.DC.; Guarea trichilioides var. pallida C.DC.; Guarea tuberculata var. purgans (A.St.-Hil.) C.DC.; Guarea xiroresana C.DC.; Melia guara Jacq.; Samyda denticulata Christm.; Samyda denticulata L. ex Poir.; Samyda dodecandra Jacq.; Samyda guidonia L.; Samyda oligostemon Urb.; Samyda pubescens auct. non L.; Samyda rosea Sims; Samyda rubra Sessé & Moc. ex DC.; Samyda serrulata L.; Samyda tenuifolia Urb.; Samyda velutina DC.; Sycocarpus rusbyi Britton; Trichilia guara (Jacq.) L.;