Cocobolo Tree Farm 
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Plants > Ornamental & Shade Trees > Paradise Tree, Bitterwood
Paradise Tree, Bitterwood, Aceituno
Simarouba is a highly valued medium sized evergreen tree (height 7-15 meters) with smooth bark with a tap root system and cylindrical stem. All parts of the plant namely, seed, shell, fruit pulp, leaf, leaf litter, unwanted branches, stem, bark, and root generate products that are useful in the production of food, fuel, manure, timber, medicine etc. They were once exported to the USA but have been replaced by white pine. The wood is white, light weight and has been used to make guitars, rustic furniture, match sticks, piano keys, coffins, paper pulp and toys.
Plant Characteristics
Dimensions at Maturity
- Height: 7 to 72 M
Leaves
The leaves are oblong, smooth, shiny, odd pinnate with 6 to 14 leaflets on each compound.
Fruit
The fruit is eliptical and black or purple.
Additional Information
Benefits | Desirability
Oil Simarouba seeds contain 60-75% oil that can be easily refined, bleached, deodorised and fractionated. It is suitable for edible and non-edible purposes.
MEDICINE
The chemicals present in leaf, fruit pulp and seed are known to possess the medicinal properties such as amoebicide, analgesic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antidysenteric, antileukemic, antimalarial,
antimicrobial, antitumorous, antiviral, astringent, cytotoxic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, skin hydrator, stomachic, sudorific, tonic, vermifuge. They are useful in curing amoebiasis, gastritis, ulcers
in the alimentary system, diarrhea, chikun gunya and malaria.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simarouba_glauca
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/43624/2/Simarouba%20brochure,%20UAS%20Bangalore,%20India.pdf
http://www.1-costaricalink.com/costa_rica_trees/aceituno.htm
Tags
evergreen,
