View crop
View crop Data sheet EcoPortBursera simaruba
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| Notes |
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| DESCRIPTION: It is a deciduous tree, 18-30 m tall, with a relatively thick trunk and a diameter at breast height of 60-80 cm. It has large, spreading, crooked branches and thin foliage. USE: Branches are cut for cattle fodder. Wood used as timber and firewood and charcoal. It yields a balsam resin known as American elemi, cachibok or gomart. The ree is planted as an ornamental, shade and street tree and as living fence. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: Gumbo limbo, Gum-elemi, Gumtree, West Indian birch, Red birch, Almacigo, Indio desnudo, Palo mulato, Galo de incienso, Turpentine tree. FURTHER INF: Scientific synonym: B. gummifera, B. ovalifolia, Elaphrium simaruba. Fully grown trees stand occasional brief frosts. It is generally found in dry forests, but sometimes in wetter forests, common in advanced secondary growth. Grows on diverse soils, for example Lithosols, Vertisols and Oxisols. It is native of the Caribbean including central and southern Florida and the region between southern Mexico and northern South America. In Guatemala, it is usually found at elevations between sea level and 1000 m, but it can be found up to 1800 m. It can reach a height of 20-30 m. Branches can be brittle and broken by the wind. Mentioned as a possible agroforestry species. |
Sources |
| SOURCES National RC 1983c pp 6-7 [USE, TEMP, KTMP, RAIN, TEXT, FER, DRA, FER, SAL, LIMITS] Hensleight T 1988 pp 372 [KTMP, RAIN, TEXT, SAL, FER, USE] ICRAF Agroforestree Database |