Guarea

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.

Guarea
Guarea guidonia
Scientific classification Edit this 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

Species

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

  • Guarea aguilarii Al.Rodr.
  • Guarea anomala T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea bijuga C.DC.
  • Guarea blanchetii C.DC.
  • Guarea bullata Radlk.
  • Guarea carapoides Harms
  • Guarea carinata Ducke
  • Guarea cartaguenya Cuatrec.
  • Guarea casimiriana Harms
  • Guarea caulobotrys Cuatrec. (also spelt caulobotryis)
  • Guarea chiricana Standl.
  • Guarea cinnamomea Harms
  • Guarea constricta Al.Rodr.
  • Guarea convergens T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea corrugata Cuatrec.
  • Guarea corticosa Al.Rodr.
  • Guarea costata A.Juss.
  • Guarea crispa T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea cristata T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea donnell-smithii C.DC.
  • Guarea ecuadoriensis W.Palacios
  • Guarea eriorhachis Harms
  • Guarea fissicalyx Harms
  • Guarea fistulosa W.Palacios
  • Guarea gentryi Coronado
  • Guarea glabra Vahl
  • Guarea gomma Pulle
  • Guarea gracilis T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea grossa T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea guentheri Harms
  • Guarea guidonia (L.) Sleumer
  • Guarea hoffmanniana C.DC.
  • Guarea humaitensis T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea inesiana Al.Rodr.
  • Guarea jamaicensis Proctor
  • Guarea juglandiformis T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea kunthiana A.Juss.
  • Guarea lozanoi Morales-P.
  • Guarea luxii C.DC.
  • Guarea macrocalyx Al.Rodr.
  • Guarea macrophylla Vahl
  • Guarea megacostata T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea megantha A.Juss.
  • Guarea mexicana Coronado
  • Guarea michel-moddei T.D.Penn. & S.A.Mori
  • Guarea pendula R.da Silva Ramalho, A.L.Pinheiro & T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea persistens W.Palacios
  • Guarea polymera Little
  • Guarea pterorhachis Harms
  • Guarea pubescens (Rich.) A.Juss.
  • Guarea purusana C.DC.
  • Guarea pyriformis T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea reticulatovenosa T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea rhopalocarpa Radlk.
  • Guarea riparia W.Palacios
  • Guarea scabra A.Juss.
  • Guarea silvatica C.DC.
  • Guarea sphenophylla Urb.
  • Guarea sprucei C.DC.
  • Guarea subandina W.Palacios
  • Guarea subsessilifolia Al.Rodr.
  • Guarea tafae-malekui Al.Rodr.
  • Guarea talamancana Gómez-Laur. & Valerio
  • Guarea tonduzii C.DC.
  • Guarea trunciflora C.DC.
  • Guarea velutina A.Juss.
  • Guarea venenata T.D.Penn.
  • Guarea zarceroensis Coronado
  • Guarea zepivae T.D.Penn.

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]

Corinthos sculpture in guarea wood by Barbara Hepworth at Tate Liverpool[4]

The wood can be used for sculpture and was favoured by the British 20th century sculptor Barbara Hepworth.[4]

References
  1. Pennington, T. D.; Styles, B. T. (1975). "A Generic Monograph of the Meliaceae". Blumea. 22: 419–540.
  2. "Guarea". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  3. "Scientists get dirt on mystery plant". STLtoday.com. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-07. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  4. "Corinthos 1954–5". UK: Tate Gallery. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
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