Wild Honeytree scientifically known as Casearia decandra is actually a small, bushy, evergreen tree from the Flacourtiaceae (Flacourtia family). The plant is native to tropical regions from the West Indies and Honduras in Central America south to Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Few of the common names of the plant are biscuit wood, Guaçatumba, pipe wood, Bois jaune, Caracolillo, Coco-ravet, Corcho blanco, Cotorrerillo, Guia mansa, Jaune d’oeuf, Jumbieapple, Palo Blanco, Wild Cherry, white cork, gentle guide and white stick. The edible fruit is gathered from the wild and consumed locally, but is not widely appreciated. The tree is also sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit.

Plant description

Wild Honeytree is a small, bushy, evergreen tree that grows about 4–6 m (13–20 ft.) tall with an open, elongate crown. The plant is found growing in various types of forest, including coastal, dryland forest, and Araucaria forest. It is also found in open, disturbed areas such as pastures and road margins. The plant adapts to any type of soil, but it grows better on red, moist, and organic-rich soils. The trunk is unique and measures 8 to 40 cm in diameter, gray in color, with an elongated and dense crown of at most 3 meters in diameter. The branches are slightly covered with hairs (puberulent) at the apex and glabrescent (without hairs) at the base, which turns brown and has lenticels (a protrusion of cells that affect gas exchange) sparse.

Leaves

Leaves have subtle stipules, 3-5 mm long, glabrous or nearly, deciduous, petiole 3-6 mm long, glabrous. It is elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 3-10 x 1.5-5 cm, apiculate to acuminate at the apex, acute? to obtuse and occasionally slightly asymmetric at the base, with translucent streaks and points spaced across the surface, membranous to chartaceous, of margin serrulate, light green and glabra in both surfaces except for domains in the armpits of the nerves in the envés, the rib promínula in the envés.

Inflorescence and flowers

Flowers in axillary fascicles, usually sprouting on defoliated twigs. Pedicel is 3-5 mm long, articulated near the base, puberulum. Sepals are 5, oblong-lanceolate, concrescent at the base, 2.5-3 x 1-1.5 mm, acute? at the apex, reflexes, and white to cream, puberulous on both sides. Petals are absent. Stamens are 10, 2-3.5 mm long, white to cream; staminodes 10, shorter than the stamens and alternating with these, villous, white. The ovary is ovoid, greenish or whitish, hairy, indivisible style, ± 1.5 mm long, whitish, stigma capitated, and yellowish.

Fruits and Seeds

Fruits are globose capsules, 6-10 mm in diameter, usually with the persistent style, dehiscent by 3 leaflets, green turning white to cream when ripe, glabrescent. Seeds are 2-4, ± ovoid, 5-7 mm long, cream-colored, smooth, wrapped in an orange mass.

History

The plant is native to tropical regions from the West Indies and Honduras in Central America south to Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Occasionally it is cultivated but generally rare outside its natural range. The tree requires a tropical or warm subtropical climate without frosts.

Culinary Uses

• Ripe, sweet fruits are usually eaten out of hand.
• The fruit is rarely seen in markets but is mainly picked off the tree and consumed fresh.

Other facts

• The light brown wood is moderately heavy, hard, straight-grained, and with a fine texture.
• It is not very durable, especially when exposed to the weather.
• It is used for making light utensils, toys, and boxes.
• Wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal.
• The plant provides nectar for many different insect species, including honey bees and butterflies.
• Hardwood is occasionally used for fence posts.
• The plant begins to bear fruit 4-5 years after planting.

References