Chlorocardium
| Chlorocardium | |
|---|---|
| File:Chlorocardium rodiaei.jpg | |
| Chlorocardium rodiei. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Division: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | Chlorocardium Rohwer, H.G.Richt. & van der Werff
|
| Species | |
Chlorocardium is a genus of the family Lauraceae. It contains only two species: Chlorocardium rodiei and Chlorocardium venenosum. It is native to northern South America. The name Chlorocardium means green (chloro-) heart (cardia), referring to the wood.
They are trees up to 40 m high, mostly 30 m high, hermaphrodites. They are slow-growing canopy evergreen trees and have a valuable timber. The wood and bark are pleasantly scented. They are present in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and the Guiana Shield (in northeastern Brazil, Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar and Delta Amacuro states), Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana).[citation needed]
The species are heavily used by the timber industry. This causes a shortage of mature trees. Their timber is of great commercial value and much exploited, but Chlorocardium rodiei is able to produce sprouts from more than 50% of stumps.[1]
Chlorocardium rodiei is used to reduce fever and Chlorocardium venenosum is used as a poison for hunting.[citation needed]
Ecology
They grow in evergreen tropical forest. They does not form large stands but rather small groups of trees with a density of up to one individual per five hectares. The ecological requirements of the genus, are those of fog moisture precipitating almost continuously in a natural habitat cloud-covered for much of the year. These genus species are found in tropical forests, subtropical temperate evergreen, montane evergreen forests, which is a type of rainforest or Cloud Forest. An ecosystem of great exuberance characterized by high humidity, no seasonal changes and with a wide variety of botanical and zoological species but also highly fragile against external aggressions. The temperate evergreen and evergreen forests are typically multispecies with evergreen and hardwood trees, reaching up to 40 meters in height. The forests are made up of laurel-leaved evergreen hardwood trees, harbouring a rich biota of understorey plants, invertebrates, birds and mammalians.
The trees are used by the timber industry. The fruit, a berry, is an important food source for birds.
The common name in Guyana is Greenheart.
External links
