Tree Species (Scientific Name)
Virola sebifera
Lumber
Medicinal
Ornamental
Product
Ceremonial
Peru Common Name
Cumala oscura, Cumala blanca
Tree Family
Myristicaceae
Average Leaf Size (cm)
16.5cm
Length
×
5.85cm
Width
Tree Height
Small (10–20m)
Elevational Range (m)
350–1500m
Distribution
Native
Exotic
Native to Peru
Native to
Region
Americas
Latin America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
Coffee Agroforestry Information
Coffee System
Arabica
Coffee Impact
Beneficial to coffee
Prevalence
Not Common in Coffee Agroforestry
Cultivation
Planted
Natural
Tree Management
Planted by seeds and are dispersed by mammals and large birds, mainly monkeys, toucans and turkeys. Seeds have limited viability and should be planted fresh in individual partially shaded containers. The fruits (1 seed each) are abundant but do not ripen at the same time. They are collected directly from the tree with sticks and left to open in the sun to manually separate the pulp that covers the seeds (approx. 2 thousand per kg). Without pregermination treatment, an average of 12% germination is obtained, which occurs between 55 and 132 days after planting. Seeds stored at 20ºC lose viability in less than 1 month. Growth in nursery is slow and seedlings can reach 25-30 cm in height in a time of 8 months. They require shade during their initial development. Trees of this species maintain their foliage permanently. It has a low incidence of pests.
Tree Benefits and Uses
Farmer Uses
- Lumber
- Medicinal
- Ornamental
- Product
- Ceremonial
It is easy to work with any type of tool, leaving a good polish because the surface is shiny, and it is used to make furniture and plywood. Indigenous people of the Amazon in South America prepare a hallucinogen from the bark, which is used in religious ceremonies. The oil is used for the manufacture of candles and soap. Used to make broomsticks.
Farm Services
- Coffee Shade
- Soil Improvement
- Reforestation
Coffee Shade: provides sparse to medium shade in a cone shape
Biodiversity Benefits
Yes
The flowers are visited by bees and other insects. The seeds are dispersed by animals, mainly monkeys, toucans and turkeys that feed on the aril. Insectivorous birds and birds in the families Trogonidae, Motmotidae, Ramphastidae, Cotingidae, and Turdidae use the tree.
Citations
Citations
WFO (2022): Virola sebifera Aubl. Published on the Internet http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000418491
. Accessed on: 24 Jun 2022 Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2022-06-24. tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Virola+sebifera
Virola sebifera Aubl. in GBIF Secretariat (2021). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39
omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2022-07-06. Howe, Henry F. "Dispersal of a neotropical nutmeg (Virola sebifera) by birds." The Auk 98.1 (1981): 88-98. Gradstein, S.R. 2022-7-12. Virola sebifera Aubl. En Bernal, R., S.R. Gradstein & M. Celis (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Virola sebifera (Aubl.). Published on the Internet: https://panamabiota.org/stri/taxa/index.php?taxon=Virola+sebifera&formsubmit=Search+Terms
Accessed 12 July 2022 Román, Francisco, et al. Guía para la propagación de 120 especies de árboles nativos de Panamá y el neotrópico. 2012. Mendoza, A. L. M., & Guerrero, M. H. (2010). Catálogo de los árboles y afines de la Selva Central del Perú. Arnaldoa, 17, 203-242.
. Accessed on: 24 Jun 2022 Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2022-06-24. tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Virola+sebifera
Virola sebifera Aubl. in GBIF Secretariat (2021). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39
omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2022-07-06. Howe, Henry F. "Dispersal of a neotropical nutmeg (Virola sebifera) by birds." The Auk 98.1 (1981): 88-98. Gradstein, S.R. 2022-7-12. Virola sebifera Aubl. En Bernal, R., S.R. Gradstein & M. Celis (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Virola sebifera (Aubl.). Published on the Internet: https://panamabiota.org/stri/taxa/index.php?taxon=Virola+sebifera&formsubmit=Search+Terms
Accessed 12 July 2022 Román, Francisco, et al. Guía para la propagación de 120 especies de árboles nativos de Panamá y el neotrópico. 2012. Mendoza, A. L. M., & Guerrero, M. H. (2010). Catálogo de los árboles y afines de la Selva Central del Perú. Arnaldoa, 17, 203-242.