Smithsonian Tropical Plants

Myroxylon balsamum

• Myroxylon balsamum is a large, tropical tree on the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's plant species list. Balsam of Peru is the common name for this fragrant hardwood plant. Myroxylon balsamum is native to South America and grows in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. This tall tree reaches heights of up to 115 feet and features a dark, mahogany-like wood. Myroxylon balsamum produces a healing resin used in homeopathic medicine; the resin is an effective emollient, cough suppressant and pesticide. The gum of the tree is sweetly fragrant and finds use as a food additive in soft drinks, cough syrups and chewing gum. Balsam of Peru is a flowering tree and produces white blossoms fragrant from a 100-yard distance.

Bixa orellana

• Bixa orellana is a small, flowering shrub endemic to tropical America that grows predominantly in regions from Mexico to Ecuador, Brazil and Bolivia. North American names for this ornamental plant include annatto, achiote and lipstick tree. Bixa orellana is a sun-worshiper and grows best in a perpetually warm, tropical climate; however, it also tolerates lowlands and mountainous regions. Annatto seeds contain a reddish substance that can be used as a dye for soaps, rice, margarine, cheese, body paint and lipstick. The pulp, leaves, roots, bark and seeds of this spring-flowering, summer-fruiting tree also serve as organic antidotes for the treatment of a variety of ailments, including dysentery, diarrhea, hemorrhoids and skin diseases.

Quassia amara

• The STRI plant species list also includes Quassia amara, another tropical plant with healing properties. Quassia amara originates from Suriname and has several common names in other parts of the world, including amargo and Suriname wood. Adult trees have gray bark and reach heights ranging from 50 to 100 feet tall. Amargo produces small, pale yellow flowers and red-brown fruits that each yield a single seed. All parts of the tree are odorless but possess a intensely bitter taste. Quassia is an effective remedy for constipation and encopresis, head lice infestation in humans and impaired digestive organs. According to the Botanical website, a tonic of amargo and sulfuric acid serves as a cure for drunkenness by destroying the appetite for alcohol in alcoholics.