Region: south America, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Guyanas.
Habitat: rainforests, savannah forests, moist tropics; lower elevations below 1,000 metres.
Use: wood for interior work, boxes, crates, utility plywood, core stock, inside sheathing, partitions, battens, millwork, protected outside sheathing; piscicide.
BotanyShrub when growing in savannah; tree in the rainforest, up to 35 metres tall.
Stem: usually straight; cylindrical; with low buttresses; unbranched for up to 20 metres; 40 to 50cm in diameter; heartwood and sapwood are a uniform off white or greyish cream colour throughout, grain is irregular and roey, texture medium, lustre medium, free of any distinctive odour or taste when seasoned, medium weight, moderately resistant to decay, works fairly easily, finishes smoothly.