Brosimum utile

Brosimum utile (Kunth), also called Galactodendron, Pittier (= B. galactodendron) is a plant species in the family Moraceae.

Description

A tall tree. It grows 35 m high. The bark is thick. When the bark is cut a nutritious milky sap flows out. The leaves are thick and leathery. They are 10-20 cm long and narrowly oval and taper to the tip. The fruit are made up of several fused together. There are one or two seeds.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Sap Seed Edible Uses: Drink Milk A nutritious, milky sap, or latex, flows out of incisions made in the bark. The nourishing white liquid, which is slightly viscous and resinous, is consumed like milk. The sap is also said to taste like cream when fresh and is sometimes used to lighten coffee. It can also be used to create a 'cheese' that is made from the thread-like curds that form on the surface of the liquid when it is exposed to the air. The latex has been used as a base for chewing gum. The fleshy fruit with the nutritious seeds are eaten boiled and salted.

Traditional Uses

The sap is eaten. It can be used to make a cheese-like food. The latex is also used for chewing gum. The seeds are eaten raw or roasted. The fruit are eaten raw or cooked.

Medicinal Uses

Analgesic Antitussive The latex is used as an analgesic and is drunk as a medication for colds and whooping cough.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in lowland and lower mountain wet forests. It grows in the dense forest.

Where It Grows

Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Honduras, India, Mexico, Panama, Peru, South America*, Sri Lanka, Suriname, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam,

Propagation

Seed - Greenwood cuttings.

Other Uses

Fibre Furniture Latex Lighting Paper Wood The fibrous bark has been used for making cloth, blankets and sails. The latex is rich in wax-like substances and has been used to make candles. The heartwood is a uniform yellowish white to yellowish brown or light brown with golden shades; it is not distinctly demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight to widely and shallowly interlocked; the lustre high; when seasoned there is no odour or taste. The wood is of moderate weight; soft to moderately hard; not very durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons normally, with only a slight risk of checking or distortion; once seasoned it is poorly stable in service. The wood works well with ordinary tools, however they need to be kept sharp otherwise the interlocked grain and the tension wood which is sometimes prevalent can cause fuzzy grain and burning of saws due to pinching; it takes stains and finishes readily; takes nails and screws well; presents no gluing problems. It is used for purposes such as light carpentry, light construction, flooring, furniture components, plywood, particleboard, fibreboard, pulp and paper products, and mouldings. Special Uses Carbon Farming Food Forest

Production

The flow of sap is greatest in the morning.

Other Information

It is also cultivated.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Baco, Cacaolcillo, Camina'jin, Ccovi ne'mba, Cocal, Guaimaro, Margis, Mastate, Palo de Vaca, Posa hui'to, Sande, Sandi, Santi wiki

References (21)

• Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 60
• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 67 (As Brosimum galactodendron)
• Condit, R., et al, 2011, Trees of Panama and Costa Rica. Princeton Field Guides. p 324
• Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20:102. 1918
• Friedman, J., et al, 1993, A Novel Method for Identification and Domestication of Indigenous Useful Plants in Amazonian Ecuador. In Janick, J. (Ed), New crops. Wiley. (As uleti)

More from Moraceae

Ficus hirta subsp. roxburghii

Ficus hispida

White Sandpaper Fig, Boombil, Hairy Fig

🌱

Ficus hookeri

Ficus hookeriana

🌱

Ficus hypobrunnea

Ficus ihuensis