Guarea

Guarea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Meliaceae
Subfamily:	Melioideae
Genus:	Guarea F. Allam ex L.
Species
See text

Guarea is a genus of evergreen trees or shrubs in the family Meliaceae, native to tropical Africa and Central and South America. At their largest, they are large trees 20–45 m tall, with a trunk over 1 m diameter, often buttressed at the base. The leaves are pinnate, with 4–6 pairs of leaflets, the terminal leaflet present. They are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.^[1] The flowers are produced in loose inflorescences, each flower small, with 4–5 yellowish petals. The fruit is a four or five-valved capsule, containing several seeds, each surrounded by a yellow-orange fleshy aril; the seeds are dispersed by hornbills and monkeys which eat the aril.

Species[]

Species accepted by Plants of the World Online as of March 2019:^[2]

Uses[]

The timber is important; the African species are known as bossé, guarea, or pink mahogany, and the South American species as cramantee or American muskwood. It is said to possibly cause hallucinations if ingested.^[3]

The bark of Guarea rusbyi (Britton) Rusby, a synonym of Guarea guidonia (L.) Sleumer,^[4] is used as an expectorant^[5] named cocillana.^[6]

Corinthos sculpture in guarea wood by Barbara Hepworth at Tate Liverpool^[7]

The wood can be used for sculpture and was favoured by the British 20th century sculptor Barbara Hepworth.^[7]

References[]

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