Aspidosperma album
Aspidosperma album
Safety & Hazards
The freshly cut wood and sap of Aspidosperma species causes irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, with general malaise[ 407 Title BoDD (Botanical Dermatology Database) Publication Author Website http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Brief notes on a very wide range of plants that have reports of causing harm to the skin. ]. The sawdust, on contact with abraded skin, produces local burning and a vesicular eruption with general symptoms of muscular weakness and cramps, sweating, dryness of the mouth, and faintness[ 407 Title BoDD (Botanical Dermatology Database) Publication Author Website http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Brief notes on a very wide range of plants that have reports of causing harm to the skin. ]. Once the wood is thoroughly dry it loses its toxicity unless polishes or dyes in organic solvents are used on it[ 407 Title BoDD (Botanical Dermatology Database) Publication Author Website http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Brief notes on a very wide range of plants that have reports of causing harm to the skin. ]
Botanical Description
Aspidosperma album is an evergreen tree growing from 10 - 30 metres tall with a bole 30 - 60 cm in diameter[ 409 Title Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 38 Publication Author Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Year 1951 ISBN Description An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains part of the Flora of Panama and a revision of the genus Aspidosperma, amongst other things. ]. The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It yields a high class timber known as 'Araracanga' which is commonly harvested from the wild and exported.