Amyris elemifera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Amyris elemifera |
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Amyris
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A. elemifera
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| Amyris elemifera |
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Amyris elemifera is a type of flowering plant in the citrus family, called Rutaceae. It has many common names, like sea torchwood, smooth torchwood, candlewood, and sea amyris. People also call it cuabilla and bois chandelle.
This plant grows naturally in Florida in the United States, the Caribbean islands, and some Central American countries. These include Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. You can also find it in northern South America. The name elemifera comes from a Greek word meaning "resin bearing," which means it produces a sticky sap.
What it Looks Like
Sea torchwood is a small to medium-sized tree. It can grow between 4 to 12 metres (13 to 39 ft) tall. When it's young, its bark is smooth and gray. As the tree gets older, the bark becomes rough and has deep lines.
The wood of this tree is very fine-grained. Its branches grow straight up. The main root is not very strong, but its side roots are stiff and powerful. The young twigs are yellow-gray and turn gray as they age.
The leaves hang down and smell nice. They are compound leaves, meaning each leaf is made up of several smaller leaflets. These leaves grow opposite each other on the stem. Each leaf has a 3 cm (1.2 in) stem (called a petiole) that holds three to five oval or lance-shaped leaflets.
The tree also produces tiny, fragrant white flowers. These flowers and the small, round, black fruits attract animals like birds. The fruit is called a drupe and has one brown seed inside.
Where it Grows and Lives
Sea torchwood can grow well in full sun or in light shade. In Florida, it often grows along the edges of hammocks, which are areas of dense forest.
This tree can grow in many different types of soil. It can even grow in rocky soil or sandy soil near the coast. It prefers places where the water drains well. However, it can handle a lot of rain, up to 750 to 2,000 mm (29.53 to 78.74 in) of rain each year in Puerto Rico. Young sea torchwood plants often stay small in the understory (the layer of plants under the main tree canopy) until there is more light for them to grow bigger.
In Florida, sea torchwood is an important food source. It helps feed the endangered Schaus' Swallowtail butterfly.
How People Use It
People have used sea torchwood for different things. They have used its wood to build fences and as fuel for fires. It's also used in honey production.
The wood is fine-grained and smells good. It is also strong and resistant to dry wood termites, which means termites don't like to eat it. However, this tree is not very common, so it's not used a lot today.
Scientists have found a special chemical in the plant called taxaline. This chemical is an oxazole and has antibiotic properties. This means it can help fight against certain bacteria, like Mycobacterium.
See also
In Spanish: Amyris elemifera para niños
