Carapa

Carapa
Crabwood redirects here. It may also refer to members of the genus Gymnanthes.
Carapa guianensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Meliaceae
Genus: Carapa
Aubl.
Species

See text.

Carapa is a genus in the mahogany family Meliaceae. The c. 25 species become medium-sized to large trees to 30 m tall, occurring in tropical South America and Africa; common names for include Andiroba and Crabwood.

Contents

Species

A recent PhD dissertation by David Kenfack [1] (2008) revolutionized the taxonomy of the genus Carapa with a renewed classification using both old and new species names. See more at carapa.org

Formerly, only three species (Carapa guianensis, C. megistocarpa and C. procera) were accepted; it is now 27 proposed species, among them 12 new species, some of which have been published in scientific journals.

The recently described new species are:

Currently, it is thus very hazardous to use the three former species names without appropriate identification of fertile plant collections. For instance, C. guianensis (4-merous type flowers) and C. procera (5-merous type flowers) are complexes of species in America and Africa, respectively.

Certification of natural oil therefore now required additional investigation to ensure that species name is correctly mentioned on packaging. Indeed, in 99,9 % percent (not to say 100 %) the name C. guianensis is mentioned for andiroba or carapa oil, and this might be wrong depending on location of harvested seeds. Oil quality might also differ depending on tree species and country or region of origin.

Occurrence

Some genus members occur in the Cental American region; for example Carapa nicaraguensis is a sub-dominant dominant tree in certain seasonal swamp forests in coastal areas of the Isthmian-Atlantic moist forests.(C.Michael Hogan. 2008)

References

C.Michael Hogan. 2008. Isthmian-Atlantic moist forests. Encyclopedia of Earth and World Wildlife Fund National Council of Science and the Environment, eds. Mark Mcginley and Cutler Cleveland


Uses

The timber is important, and oil is produced from the seeds. The name andiroba is from Nheengatu nhandi rob, meaning "bitter oil". Carapa guianensis produces seeds which oil is similar in properties to neem oil. The name Touloucouna also means bitter oil in Western Africa.

External links



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Look at other dictionaries:

  • čarapa — čàrapa ž DEFINICIJA pleteni ili platneni dio obuće koji obuva i štiti 1. stopalo s gležnjem [kratka čarapa]; sokna 2. nogu do koljena; dokoljenica, dokoljenka 3. cijelu nogu [duga čarapa]; bječva SINTAGMA lička čarapa vunena, domaća pletena… …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • carapa — (Carapa guianensis) f. *Planta meliácea de las Antillas de la que extraían los indios un aceite que, mezclado con bija, les servía para teñirse el cuerpo. ≃ Nandiroba. * * * carapa. f. Planta meliácea de las Antillas, de semilla aceitosa …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Carāpa — (Caraipa, C. Aubl.), Pflanzengattung zur Familie der Ternstroemiaceae Laplaceae, 1. Qrdn. 8. Klasse L.; Arten: C. guianensis, Baum in Westindien, mit nutzbarem Holz; durch Auspressen der Fruchtkerne erhält man ein fettes Öl, Carapaöl, dessen sich …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • carapa — ● carapa nom masculin (mot d une langue indigène d Amérique) Genre d arbres (méliacées) des rivages des pays chauds, dont diverses espèces fournissent des bois d œuvre (andiroba), d autres des huiles de savonnerie. carapa n. m. Arbre d Afrique… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Carāpa — Aubl., Gattung der Meliazeen, prächtige Bäume mit meist unpaarig gefiederten Blättern, kleinen Blüten in großen verzweigten Rispen und großer holziger, sechs bis zwölfsamiger Kapsel. Vier Arten in den Tropen der Alten und der Neuen Welt. C.… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Carapa — Aubl., Pflanzengattg. der Meliazeen, trop. Bäume; das aus den Früchten von C. guianensis Aubl. (Brasilien etc.) und C. Tolucāna Perot. (Afrika) gepreßte Carapaöl (Carapafett, Andirobaöl, Tolucanaöl) wird bei den Eingeborenen als Schutzmittel… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Carapa — Carapa, s. Hesperideae Meliaceae …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • carapa — f. Planta meliácea de las Antillas, de semilla aceitosa …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • Carapa — guianensis …   Wikipédia en Français

  • carapa — (ka ra pa) s. m. Huile de carapa, huile extraite du caraïpé. SUPPLÉMENT AU DICTIONNAIRE    CARAPA. Ajoutez : •   Les graines de carapa, si abondantes dans la Guyane qu elles pourraient seules alimenter les savonneries de Marseille, Journ. offic.… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

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