Myroxylon balsamum

Myroxylon balsamum
(L.) Harms

2n =

Origine : Cuba, Amérique centrale et du Sud

sauvage et cultivé


Français	'
Anglais	'

Résumé des usages

résine du tronc : baume
- ingrédient du saint-chrême
- fixation des préparations microscopiques
arbre d'ombrage

Description

Myroxylon balsamum (L.) Harms (1908)

synonyme :

baume de Tolu

var. pereirae (Royle) Harms (1908)

basionyme :

baume du Pérou

var. balsamum : A pantropical avenue tree, mostly grown as ornamental, much more seldom for the balsam production, e.g. in Brazil, S Asia (Malaysia), the Caribbean isl. Most of Tolu balsam of the trade comes however from wild populations, mainly from Colombia. It is obtained from wood cuts, the balsam or its oil is used for flavouring cosmetics and various products of the food and pharmaceutical industry.
var. pereirae : Grown mainly as shade tree, often in coffee plantations, in Central America and occasionally in other tropical countries; seldom cultivated for the balsam production, e.g. in Zaire or various other tropical countries of the Old and New World. Most of the balsam of Peru comes too from wild populations (often managed as kind of semi-cultivation) mainly from El Salvador and Belize. The balsam has been used in a similar manner as Tolu balsam, it was important as component of the anointing oil used by Catholic priests since the middle of the 16th cent. and as mounting medium for microscopic preparations. Peru balsam trees had been planted already in the imperial gardens of the Aztecs and the balsam was part of the tributes which had been delivered to the Aztec emperors. It got its name after the country from where later the product was shipped to Europe. Cultivation experiments with the Peru balsam tree began since the 19th century in several African, Asiatic countries and in Surinam, but were mostly unsuccessful.

Mansfeld.

NWFP 6. Coppen J.J.W., 1995. Gums, resins and latexes of plant origin. FAO, Rome. 142 p. (Non-Wood Forest Products, 6). sur Pl@ntUse
Rollet, Bernard et coll., 2010. Arbres des Petites Antilles. Tome 1 : Introduction à la dendrologie. 276 p. Tome 2 : Description des espèces. 866 p. + 46 pl. coul. + CD de photos sur l'anatomie du bois. Basse-Terre, ONF. Voir sur Pl@ntUse.