Simarouba Amara

Family: Simaroubaceae
Genus: Simarouba
Species: Amara, Glauca
Other Names: Gavilan, Negrito, Marubá, Bitterwood, Paradise Tree, Palo Blanco, Robleceillo, Caixeta, Daguilla, Cedro Blanco, Cajú-Rana, and many others.

Part Used: Bark, Wood, Leaves

Where It Grows: Simarouba amara is found in French Guiana, the islands of Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Barbados, and parts of India, including Odisha and the Himalayan regions. It is often imported from Jamaica.

Main Ingredients:

• A bitter substance similar to quassin

• Volatile oil with a benzoin-like smell

• Malic acid and gallic acid (in small amounts)

• Calcium malate and oxalate

• Various mineral salts and other compounds

Description:
Simarouba amara is a tall tree that can grow up to 35 meters high, with trunks reaching up to 125 cm in diameter. It has large compound leaves that are about 60 cm long, with 9-16 smaller leaflets. The flowers are small, pale yellow, and grow in clusters. They bloom from March to July, peaking in April. The tree produces green to purplish-black fruits with large seeds, which are dispersed by animals.

Medicinal Uses:

• Traditional Uses: The leaves and bark of Simarouba amara have been used in traditional medicine to treat dysentery, diarrhea, malaria, and other illnesses.

• Dysentery Treatment: Simarouba amara is known as "dysentery bark" because it was first used in the 1700s as a remedy for dysentery in France. It helps restore the lost strength in the intestines, promotes digestion, and helps the patient sleep. It is most effective in the later stages of dysentery, once the stomach is no longer affected.

• Tonic: It is a bitter tonic that can be used to improve overall health, but it should be used in small amounts. Large doses can cause nausea and vomiting. Because the plant is hard to grind into powder, it is often used as an infusion (in liquid form).

Although once popular, it is now rarely used due to the availability of other treatments.