Malvaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Sterculia pruriens

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Sterculia pruriens is a tree with a heavy, rounded crown, commonly growing 30 metres or more tall. The straight, cylindrical bole is unbuttressed; it has a low taper, can be unbranched for up to 20 metres and 60cm or more in diameter[ 378 Title Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean Publication USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207 Author Longwood.F.R. Publisher USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC. Year 1962 ISBN Description Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet. ]. The tree is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use and for its timber, which is used locally and also traded. Sterculia pruriens has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, the Guyanas; Caribbean - Trinidad and Tobago.

HabitatDense primary rainforest[ 378 Title Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean Publication USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 207 Author Longwood.F.R. Publisher USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC. Year 1962 ISBN Description Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet. ]. Rain, marsh and creek forests, forested slopes and savannah forests[ 422 Title Fruits of the Guianan Flora Publication Author van Roosmalen. M.G.M. Publisher Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands. Year 1985 ISBN 90-9000988-4 Description Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat. ].