Lindackeria laurina – Escribano
Family:
Native to:
Habitat:
Achariaceae
Parts of Central America, Colombia.
Understory tree in primary forest, edges, clearings. 0-1000 meters above sea level. 12 meter tall tree.
Ecological value:
Attracts pollinators. Understory tree but prefers sunny position. Fruits consumed by birds including Golden-Collared Manakin and warblers such as the Chestnut-Sided warbler and the Bay-Breasted warbler.
Material uses:
The heartwood is close grained, takes a fairly good polish and is considered
excellent timber and is used in roof construction in Panama. The wood can be used to
make charcoal.
Edible uses:
Fruits of this species are small, round and spiky. No records of the fruit being edible
Medicinal use:
Leaves used to cure snakebites. The Achariaceae family is known as a source of chaulmoogra oil which was used to treat leprosy.
Other details:
Fruits mature in early dry season. The foliage sticks to clothing. Belongs to the Achariaceae family which consists of around 33 genera of 155 species of tropical shrubs, trees and herbs.
Research:
Tresha Naharwar/Christine Facella
Sources:
“Lindackeria Laurina - Useful Tropical Plants.” n.d. Tropical.theferns.info. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Lindackeria+laurina.
Sly, Nicholas D. 2023. “Golden-Collared Manakin (Manacus Vitellinus), Version 2.0.” Birds of the World. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.gocman1.02species_shared.bow.project_name.
Greenberg, Russell, “Frugivory in Some Migrant Tropical Forest Wood Warblers.” Biotropica 13 (3): 215, 1981. https://doi.org/10.2307/2388127.
Image source: Vojtěch Zavadil. Pictured here is L. paludosa.