Apuleia leiocarpa

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Apuleia leiocarpa

Family: Fabaceae Genus: Apuleia Species: leiocarpa

Synonyms: Apuleia leiocarpa var. molaris, Apoleya leiocarpa, Apuleia molaris, Apoleya molaris, Platymiscium ellipticum, Leptolobium leiocarpum, Apuleia praecox, Apuleia grazielana, Dalbergia cucullata, Zenkeria dalbergioides, Zenkeria lundii

Garapa
Apuleia leiocarpa

Western Herbalism Properties

Actions:
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Traditional Uses

In South American folk medicine a decoction of the grated stem bark of Apuleia leiocarpa is drunk to relieve fever and inflammatory complaints (Useful Tropical Plants; Coelho et al.). Aqueous extracts of the wood and bark have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in pharmacological studies.

Botanical Description

A large deciduous timber tree of South American tropical and subtropical forests, growing 25 to 35 metres tall with a straight, cylindrical bole that can be free of branches for up to 12 metres and 80 to 150 cm in diameter, crowned by an open, spreading canopy. The bark is relatively smooth and pale, peeling in patches. The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with few, alternately arranged, smooth elliptic leaflets. Small whitish flowers are borne in branched inflorescences. The fruit is a flattened, indehiscent legume pod containing one or few seeds. The heartwood is hard, heavy and lustrous, ranging from pale yellow to a warm golden-brown that darkens on exposure, and is widely traded internationally under the name garapa. It grows in semi-deciduous and gallery forest from Brazil and the Guianas through Paraguay and northern Argentina, and is a valued source of durable timber and tannin-rich bark.

Native Region: Argentina Northeast, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

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