Cow-wood
Bagassa guianensis

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 15-45 m high. The crown is sparse. The trunk is upright and 40-80 cm across. It can have thick buttresses. The bark of soft but thick and fibrous. It yields white latex when cut. The leaves are simple and opposite. They have 3 main veins. The leaves can have 3 lobes when young. The leaves are 12-18 cm long by 8-14 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 4-6 cm long. Male and female flowers are separate. The male flowers are in 5 cm long spikes and the female flowers in round heads. The female heads occur singly. The fruit is round and a compound fruit. It is 4-5 cm long by 4 cm wide. It has fleshy, sweet pulp. There are several flat seeds.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the Amazon in dryland forest. In the Guianas it grows in upland and mountain forest.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, South America, Suriname

How it is used for food

The pulp of the fruit is eaten raw. It is also used for drinks.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Fruit, latex

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Ripe fruit are put into plastic bags to soften them then the seeds removed in a sieve under running water. They are dried in the shade for 24 hours. Seed are planted fresh. Seeds germinate in a few weeks.

Plants grow quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Amaparana, Bacasse, Bagaceira, Bagassa, Bagasse, Bakassa, Gagasse, Garrote, Gele bagasse, Kaw-oedoe, Moral, Odon, Odou, Pakasa, Tatajuba, Tatajuva, Yawa hedan, Yawahu dan

Synonyms

Bagassa sagotiana Burch. ex Benth. & Hook.f.; Bagassa tiliifolia (Desf.) Benoist; Laurea tiliifolia Gaudich.; Piper tiliifolium Desv. ex Ham.;