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 
| |
| 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
editSpecies 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
editThe timber is important; the African species are known as bossé, guarea, or pink mahogany, and the South American species as cramantee or American muskwood. The wood is valued for house building, flooring, joinery, interior trim, panelling, window frames, doors, ship building, vehicle bodies, furniture, cabinet work, decorative boxes, crates, veneer and plywood. It is suitable for musical instruments such as acoustic guitars, toys, novelties, carving and turnery.[3] It is said to possibly cause hallucinations if ingested.[4]
The wood can be used for sculpture and was favoured by the British 20th century sculptor Barbara Hepworth.[5]
References
edit- ^ Pennington, T. D.; Styles, B. T. (1975). "A Generic Monograph of the Meliaceae". Blumea. 22: 419–540.
- ^ "Guarea". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "What is Mahogany? Part 2 | Gaskell Guitars - Custom left handed guitars". Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ McGuire, Kim (5 May 2009). "Scientists get dirt on mystery plant". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
- ^ a b "Corinthos 1954–5". UK: Tate Gallery. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
 | This Meliaceae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |