Ocotea porosa

Ocotea porosa, commonly called imbuia or Brazilian walnut, is a species of plant in the Lauraceae family. Its wood is very hard, and it is a major commercial timber species in Brazil.

Ocotea porosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Ocotea
Species:
O. porosa
Binomial name
Ocotea porosa
(Nees & Martius) Barroso
Synonyms[2]
  • Cinnamomum porosum (Nees & Mart.) Kosterm.
  • Nectandra dubia Hassl.
  • Nectandra speciosa Chanc.
  • Oreodaphne porosa Nees & Mart.
  • Phoebe porosa (Nees & Mart.) Mez

Taxonomy and naming

It is often placed in the related genus, Phoebe. It is commonly called imbuia, and is also known as Brazilian walnut,[3] because its wood resembles that of some walnuts (to which it is not related).[4]

Portuguese common names (with variant spellings) include embuia, embúia, embuya, imbuia, imbúia, imbuya, canela-imbuia.

Habitat

The tree grows naturally in the subtropical montane Araucaria forests of southern Brazil, mostly in the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina (where it is the official state tree since 1973), and in smaller numbers in São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul. The species may also occur in adjacent Argentina and/or Paraguay.[5]

In its native habitat it is a threatened species.

Description

The trees typically reach 40 m (130 ft) in height and 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) in trunk diameter.[6]

The wood is very hard, measuring 3,684 lbf (16,390 N) on the Janka scale. The wood is also fragrant[7] with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon (also a member of the Lauraceae).

Uses

The tree is a major commercial timber species in Brazil, used for high-end furniture, mostly as decorative veneers, and as flooring.[4]

The tree is also a popular horticultural tree in subtropical regions of the world.

References
  1. Varty, N.; Guadagnin, D.L. (1998). "Ocotea porosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998: e.T32978A9739985. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T32978A9739985.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. "Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart.) Barroso — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  3. Juliana R. Cordeiro; Maria I. V. Martinez; Rosamaria W. C. Li; et al. (2012). "Identification of Four Wood Species by an Electronic Nose and by LIBS". International Journal of Electrochemistry. 2012: 1–5. doi:10.1155/2012/563939. Article ID 563939.
  4. "Phoebe porosa" (PDF). Center for Wood Anatomy Research. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2003. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
  5. Documentação, Divisão de. "LEI Nº 4.984, de 30 de novembro de 1973". leis.alesc.sc.gov.br. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  6. Terry Porter: "Wood Identification and Use", page 167. Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd. 2004
  7. Eric Meier, ed. (2013). "The Wood Database". Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.


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