Myroxylon balsamum (L.) Harms

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Tree with 5–11(–15)-foliolate leaves.

Morphology Leaves

Lateral leaflets alternate, oblong-ovate to -elliptic, acuminate, with pellucid dots and streaks.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in racemes, whitish, 1–1.2 cm. long; anthers nearly as long as the filaments, conspicuous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit flattened and wing-like, broadened, hardened and 1-seeded at the apex, indehiscent.

Sartori, Â.L.B., Lewis, G.P., de Freitas Mansano, V. et al. 2015. A revision of the genus Myroxylon (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae)Kew Bulletin 70: 48. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-015-9604-7

Type

Type: Venezuela: Puerto Cabello, s.d., A. Goering 3/69? (neotype K, selected here, isoneotype NY 02256475). We have not been able to locate any original material of Toluifera balsamum L. (pers. comm. Cafferty, Linnean Plant Name Typification Project) or any type material studied by Harms in Berlin. In consequence, we here designate as a neotype a specimen collected in Puerto Cabello, which best fits (as to geographical locality) the species description published in the protologue.

Morphology General Habit

Tree (8 –) 15 – 50 m tall

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 5 –11-foliolate, petiole, rachis and petiolules sparsely ferruginous-tomentose; petiole 1 – 2.7 cm long; rachis 2.7 – 12 (– 17) cm long; petiolules 2 – 6 mm long; leaflets 5.5 – 10.5 × 2 – 5 cm, oblong to elliptic, apex acuminate or long-acuminate, base attenuate or rounded, terminal leaflets elliptic to rhombic, the lower pairs ovate, margin sinuous, entire, concolorous or discolorous, both surfaces glabrous or sparsely sericeous on the blade and midrib, adaxial surface dull (not shiny), veins prominent on both surfaces, pellucid dots and streaks inconspicuous unless leaflet held up to the light

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes terminal and axillary, equalling or longer than the leaves, the axis ferruginous-tomentose or greyish tomentose, (4.5 –) 16.5 – 19 cm long; bract lanceolate, apex acute, base truncate, concave or not, ascending to reflexed, c. 1 mm long; pedicel 5 – 15 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flower buds globose or cylindrical, apex acute or obtuse; bracteole ovate or narrowly oblong, up to 0.5 mm long Flowers c. 12 – 14 mm long; calyx 5 – 8 × 11.5 – 15 mm, greyish tomentose to puberulous externally, the lobe apices obtuse; standard petal 10.5 – 14.5 mm long, blade 2.8 – 5.5 × 4.6 – 8.8 mm, claw 7.2 – 9.3 mm long, depressed-ovate, apex rounded or emarginate, base rounded to subcordate, margin entire, externally glabrous; other petals (6 –) 8.7 – 11.5 × (0.36 –)1.1 – 2.6 mm, lanceolate to linear, apex acute, base attenuate, margin rarely sinuous, glabrous; stamens (4.7 –) 7 – 10 mm long, filaments 1.5 – 5 mm long, anthers 2.3 – 5.5 mm long, ovary 10 – 12.6 mm long, stipitate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a 6 – 12 cm long samara; seed-chamber 2 – 3 cm long, sub-globose; upper margin 1 – 17 mm wide; lower margin 1 – 5 mm wide, apiculate; stipe 6 – 13 mm long; bracts reflexed, persistent, or bracts and calyces caducous; seed testa smooth

Distribution

Myroxylon balsamum occurs in Central America, and northern and western South America (Map 1).

Ecology

The species is fairly common in tropical forest at 200 – 690 m altitude. In Peru and Brazil the species is mostly associated with rivers, and sometimes grows on lateritic soil.

Conservation

Myroxylon balsamum is more restricted in its geographical distribution than M. peruiferum. It is known from a number of localities in Central America and northern South America. At present it is assessed as being of least concern (LC), although the species is under threat from logging, especially in the Amazon Forest. In remnants of mesophyllous forest it is likely that logging will become a threat to the species in the near future and the conservation assessment would then have to be changed to Vulnerable.

Vernacular

Brazil: Bálsamo (A. Ducke 23787), Cumarú (D. C. Vasconcelos 11036), Costa Rica: Bálsamo (W. H. Hatheway 1660), Cuba: Guatemala (E. L. Ekman 17553); Colômbia: Bálsamo (R. Romero 7008); Tolu or Bálsamo de Tolu (H. N. Whitford & J. Pinzon 9); El Salvador: Bálsamo (G. P. Lewis & C. E. Hughes 1736), Bálsamo-negro (P. C. Standley 19310); Bálsamo do Peru (Natural History Museum: BM 53809), Crusnagua (S. Haynes 25); Ecuador: Bálsamo (A. Dike & R. Romero 1165), Pido-quera (J. A. Duke 8391), Guatemala: Nabá (Aguilar 64); Honduras: Bálsamo (C. E. Hughes 283); Panamá: Barba (G. de Neves 4932); Peru: Yarina-cocha (G. Tessmann 5470), Estoraque (Kroll 223); Quino-quino (BM53831); México: Bálsamo (Reko 115011), Palo de bálsamo (E. Matuda 16529), Nabá (J. Marroquin 278), Bálsamo-ó-nabá (J. Chavelas & A. Gomez ES 762), Mattaluca (H. Finek 1865); Nicaraguá: Bálsamo (A. Grisalva & D. Soza 3724); Venezuela: Bálsamo (A. L. Bernardi 7008).

Note

Myroxylon balsamum is distinguished by its leaflets with a dull adaxial surface, the leaflet blade with inconspicuous pellucid dots and streaks, the calyx lobes obtuse, longer flowers 10 mm (without pedicel) and seeds smooth. Lanceolate, reflexed bracts and linear petals are frequent characteristics of material from Peru and Brazil. Collections of the species from Venezuela and Panama sometimes have bracts which are not reflexed, but other vegetative characters are as cited above.Historically, infra-specific taxa of Myroxylon balsamum have been accepted in a number of treatments (e.g., Harms 1908; Rudd 1968; Isely 1981). Rudd (1968) recognised infraspecific taxa based mostly on differing chemistry of the balsam, as well as the length and width of the fruits. We do not consider these traits to be consistent and thus do not recognise infraspecific taxa in our treatment. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Nativa y cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 15 - 1600 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Arbusto, arbolito, árbol

Conservation

Casi Amenazada

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/62026528/62026530

Conservation

LC - least concern

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Cultivated

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Tree

Vernacular

Balsam, Balsam Of Tolu, Balsamo, Balsamo De Tolu, Balsamo Del Peru, Kata-kamanchal, Sambranee, Tolu Balsam

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

árbol de caraña, árbol de Tolú, bálsamo, bálsamo blanco, bálsamo de Tolú, bálsamo del Perú, bálsamo rubio, carano, caraña, elemí, olor, sarrapio, tache, tolú

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

International Legume Database and Information Service

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Tree

Vernacular

Balsam Of Peru, Balsamito, Black Balsam, Indian Balsam, Myroxocarpin, Peru Balsam, Peru Balsam Tree, Peruvian Balsam

Vernacular

Bálsamo, Bálsamo de tolú, Bálsamo tolutiano, Cereipo, Estoraque, Guararo, Pidoquera, Roble maría, Tache

International Legume Database and Information Service

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Tree

Vernacular

Tolú

Use

Domestic, Environmental, Medicine, Wood

Use

Chemical products, Food and Drink, Medicine, Toxins, Wood