Anacardiaceae FAMILY

Metopium toxiferum

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant contains a latex, which often exudes naturally from the bark and leaves, becoming black once exposed to the air. This latex irritates the skin and causes allergies. After contact with it, 70% of Europeans develop itching papules a few days later, which then develop into blisters and remain for several weeks^[1]. The smoke of the burning wood irritates the skin^[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree

Growth—

Not known

Propagation

Seed - Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Metopium+toxiferum>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]Contact-Poisonous Plants of the World — Rohde. M. · 2006 · http://mic-ro.com/plants/ ↩︎A document on the internet. Gives brief information on about 35 species of plants that can cause severe problems from a single contact with the skin.
[2]Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands — Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H. · USDA, Forest Service; Washington. · 1964 ↩︎Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
[3]The American Woods (in 14 volumes) — Hough R.B. · Romeyn B. Hough Co.; New York · 1888 - 1928 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Detailed information, with photographs, of the woods of almost 400 species of American trees. It can be downloaded from the Internet.