Description
Maria is a timber tree originating in tropical America and native to an area extending from Mexico, through Panama, into northern parts of South America.
It grows at a slow to moderate rate depending on the growing conditions, reaching up to 40 m (130 ft) tall in closely spaced forests with a trunk diameter of up to 1.8 m (6 ft). On open sites, it is typically 10 to 20 m (33 to 65 ft) tall with a straight trunk supporting a densely branched rounded crown. The bark is light grey or dark brown to nearly black, smooth, becoming vertically furrowed, rough and flaking with age.
The leaves are oval to oblong, 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) long, smooth on the margins, glossy dark green on top, pale green underneath and have a thick, leathery feel. They are opposite or sub-opposite arranged at the branch ends and remain on the tree throughout the year.
Flowers are small, white and fragrant, blooming in showy and abundant clusters, mainly in spring and on and off flowering the rest of the year. Fertilised flowers develop into small round fruit, 2.5 to 7.5 cm (1 to 3 in) long, green when young, becoming dull yellow to yellow-brown when ripe, with a single round seed inside.
Use
Maria is a handsome tree, which has led to its cultivation as a street and shade tree in its native range. It also has good adaptability to degraded soils, making it a valuable species for land rehabilitation. And because of its tolerance to salt spray, it is recommended for planting in coastal areas.
It produces a medium-weight wood, averaging 510 to 620 kgs per cubic meter (32 to 39 lbs per cubic ft), which puts it at the soft end of the hardwood scale. Its natural resistance to termites and marine borers is low to moderate, and resistance against rot and decay varies from non-resistant to resistant. Variability in the natural resistance of its wood is not well researched and therefore poorly understood.
Well-formed logs are sawn into planks for making furniture, cabinets and flooring, and beams for heavy and light construction, including house frames. Selected logs are sliced for decorative veneer. The heartwood is an attractive pink or brick-red.
The bark on wounding exudes a yellow elemi-resin that yields a commercially valuable essential oil when distilled, traded as 'Sandalo inglez' or 'Sandalo ingles'. It has a history of use as a fragrance component in the perfume industry.
The ripe fruit fall to the ground and are usually fed to or foraged by pigs.
Climate
Grows naturally in moderately humid to very humid tropical lowland climates, generally areas with annual lows of 19 to 25°C, annual highs of 25 to 35°C, annual rainfall of 1300 to 7000 mm and a dry season of 5 months or less.
Growing
New plants are easily raised from seed and perform best on moist, free-draining clay and loam soils of an acid to slightly acid nature, generally with a pH of 4.5 to 6.0. Sites with full to partial sun exposure are favoured. It has good tolerance to seasonal flooding and salt and nutrient-poor iron-rich soils.
Problem features
The fruit are eaten and dispersed by bats in its native range, sometimes resulting in dense clumps where the bats congregate to roost. However, there does not appear to be any record of it anywhere as a weed or invasive species, despite its widespread cultivation as a landscape tree.
The fruit fall to the ground when ripe, creating litter and staining sidewalks or footpaths.
Where it grows
References
Books
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Barwick, M., et al. 2004, Tropical & subtropical trees : a worldwide encyclopaedic guide, Thames and Hudson, London
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Berni, C. A & Bolza, E. & Christensen, F. J. 1979, South American timbers - the characteristics, properties and uses of 190 species, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Division of Building Research, Highett, Victoria, Australia
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Burns R.M., Mosquera M.S. & Whitmone J.L. 1998, Useful trees of the tropical region of North America, North American Forestry Commission Publication (Number 3), Washington D.C.
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Chudnoff, M. 1984, Tropical timbers of the world, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, D.C.
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Gilman, E. F. 1997, Trees for urban and suburban landscapes, Delmar Publishers, Albany, New York
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Groom, N. 1997, The new perfume handbook, 2nd ed., Blackie Academic & Professional, London
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Howes, F. N. 1949, Vegetable gums and resins, Chronica Botanica Company, Waltham, Massachusetts
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Little, E. L. et al. 1964 and 1974, Common trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (2 volumes), Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Washington D.C.
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Lorenzi, H. 2002, Brazilian trees : a guide to the identification and cultivation of Brazilian native trees. Vol. 1, 4. ed, Instituto Plantarum de Estudos da Flora, Nova Odessa, Sao Paulo
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Porter, T. 2012, Wood : identification & use, Compact edition, Guild of Master Craftsman Publications, Lewes, East Sussex
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Reyes, G. 1992, Wood densities of tropical tree species, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Scheffer, T. C & Morrell, J. J. 1998, Natural durability of wood : a worldwide checklist of species, Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
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Vázquez, Y. C. 1999, Potentially valuable Mexican trees for ecological restoration and reforestation, Institute of Ecology, Database SNIB-REMIB-CONABIO, Project J084, Mexico