EMBAÚBA

Scientific name: Cecropia angustifolia

Familia:  Cecropiaceae

Origin: Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

Popular names: embaúva, imbaúba, umbaúba, originate from the Tupi term ãba'ib, which means "hollow tree".

Natural occurrence: Atlantic Forest, mainly in the Amazon region.

Features: hollow trunk trees, their leaves are 9 to 10 with the white underside, and can reach fifteen meters in height. It belongs to the stratum of pioneer plants of the Atlantic Forest. They are light trees, undemanding to the soil and very common in deforested areas in recovery. They have pointed fruits, attractive to several species of birds. They are able to disperse quickly.

As they have hollow stems and branches, they live in symbiosis with ants, especially those of the Azteca genus, which inhabit their interior and protect them from herbivorous animals.

Usage: in addition to being widely used in the recovery of deforested areas, embaúba is a medicinal plant that has alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and cardiotonic glycosides and, therefore, is normally used to combat high blood pressure.

Source: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emba%C3%BAba_(%C3%A1rvore); https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/a-1495-9785

See all tree and shrub species mapped on Bahiana