''Terminalia amazonia'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

in the

Combretaceae The Combretaceae, often called the white mangrove family, are a family of flowering plants in the order Myrtales. The family includes about 530 species of trees, shrubs, and lianas in ca 10 genera. The family includes the leadwood tree, ''Combre ...

family. It is native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

and has been used for commercial logging. The wood is hard and durable. In Belize, ''Terminalia amazonia'' is widely located in the Mountain Pine Ridge.

Description

This species can grow up to 70m in height. It can reach a diameter of 1 to 3m. The bark is straight. At the beginning, the branches grow horizontally and the apex assumes a vertical position. The bark is thin (1 cm thick) and is grayish brown or yellow with a bitter taste. The leaves are small, dark green and glossy above and light green and opaque below.

Vernacular names

''Terminalia amazonia'' has different names in different countries. In

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

, it is known as roble coral, amarillón, canùx, naranjo, volador, amarillo real, guayabo de charco. In

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, it is referred as sombrerete and tepesuchil. In

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, the common names are guyo and chicharrón. In

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

it is referred as nargusta or bullywood. Arispin and acietuno are the common names for

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. Lastly, in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

the common names for Terminalia amazonia are guayabo león and palo prieto.

Ecology

''Terminalia amazonia'' is a tropical tree of humid evergreen forest. It blooms between February and April while the fruit ripens between March and May.

Wood characteristics

The young part of the green wood is light grayish yellow and orange or yellowish when dry. The heart is a little darker and when dry, it acquires a reddish yellow color. There are an approximate average of 2 rings per cm. Terminalia amazonia 0zz

Uses

Because of the wood of ''Terminalia amazonia'' is hard and durable, it is used in general woodwork as well as in floors.

Propagation

Seed trees should be located in stands and have a diameter of at least 40 to 70 cm. The fruit must be ripe since seeds of unripe fruit does not germinate. Once the seeds are harvested, they should be transported with cloth bags and allowed to dry in the sun for two days of three to four hours. Seeds are

orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

and should be kept in airtight containers or 4 °C with moisture content of 6 to 8%.

Pests and diseases

Some ''Terminalia amazonia'' plants present problems of pests during the early stages of development. The attack causes large deformation reducing the quality of the wood. It is common to encounter the problem of "gumming" caused by a virus which causes weakening of the tree until it dies.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15574358

amazonia The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...

Trees of Peru Trees of Costa Rica Trees of Belize Trees of Panama Trees of Mexico