Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Bixa urucurana
Food
Firewood
Medicinal
Product
Ceremonial
Peru Common Name
Palo achiote
Tree Family
Bixaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
17.5cm
Length
×
12.5cm
Width
Tree Height
Small (10–20m)
Elevational Range (m)
200–600m
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Peru
Native to
Region
Americas
Latin America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
Coffee Agroforestry Information
Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Unknown
Prevalence
Unknown
Cultivation
Natural
Tree Management
Unknown
Tree Benefits and Uses
Farmer Uses
- Food
- Firewood
- Medicinal
- Product
- Ceremonial
Used as a colorant in cosmetics. It is used to relieve pain and for the treatment of diabetes and skin infections. The leaves are used to treat hepatitis and cough. In the past some Indigenous groups used orange sap to paint their bodies in rituals and religious ceremonies, and also as a repellent against mosquitoes.
Farm Services
- Unknown
Biodiversity Benefits
No
Citations
Citations
Plants of the World Online POWO (2022). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org;
Bixa urucurana Willd. in GBIF Secretariat (2021). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Accessed on 2022-07-13. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei;
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (2022). Published on the Internet: https://panamabiota.org/stri/taxa/index.php?taxon=Bixa+urucurana&formsubmit=Search+Terms;
Moreira, P.A., Lins, J., Dequigiovanni, G. et al. The Domestication of Annatto (Bixa orellana) from Bixa urucurana in Amazonia. Econ Bot 69, 127–135 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-015-9304-0