AgroForestryTree Database
Myroxylon balsamum
 Species identityEcology and distributionPropagation and managementFunctional usesPests and diseasesAdditional InfoBibliographyImages |
Species identity
TaxonomySynonym(s)
Common names
(English) : Peru balsam, Tolu balsam
(Portuguese) : cabreúva-vermelha, cabreúva, óleo-bálsamo
(Spanish) : balsamo, Bálsamo de sonsonate, palo de balsamo
(Trade name) : balsam of Peru, balsamo, incienso, Peruvian balsam, santos mahogany
Botanic description
Myroxylon balsamum is a tree growing to 34 m in height and 1 m in diameter. The bark is generally grey and spotted with rough yellow areas. Leaves oddly pinnate, 3-11 leaves, 6-9 cm long and 3-4 cm wide with scattered translucent, glandular oil dots or lines. Flowers are whitish, corolla 5-petalled. Pods winged 8-13 cm long and 2.5 cm broad containing one seed at the tip. The generic epithet is derived from Greek “myron” meaning perfume or sweet oil and “xylon” wood. There is confusion about the number of species and varieties in the genus Myroxylon, however, 2 species are assigned to the genus; M. balsamum and M. peruiferum both native to Central and South America. Two varieties are recognized namely var. balsamum (tolu balsam) and var. pereirae (Peru balsam).
Ecology and distribution
History of cultivationPeru balsam derived its name from its export exit ports in Peru, although the center of commercial production lay in the north-western El Salvador. The product was introduced into Europe by the Spaniards in the early 16th century. At the height of its popularity a Papal edict forbade cutting of the tree. Tolu balsam entered commercial channels from Colombia and Venezuela. Major producer of Peru balsam is El Salvador which at the close of the 1970’s and 1980’s exported about 48 million tonnes, mostly to the United States. Colombia produces Tolu balsam from M. balsamum var. balsamum. The main sources of Peru balsam produced from M. balsamum var. pereirae is Venezuela and the West Indies.
Natural Habitat
M. balsamum grows in areas with annual precipitation ranging from 1 350-4 030 mm (mean 2 640 mm), annual mean temp of 27-32 deg C, and soils with mildly acidic pH.
Geographic distribution
Native : Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela
Exotic : India, United States of America
Biophysical limitsAltitude: up to 700 m Mean annual temperature: 27-32 deg C Mean annual rainfall: 1 350-4 030 mm Soil type: Grows on soils with pH 5-8.
Reproductive Biology
Seeds are wind dispersed and may be collected from the tree as they begin to mature. Balsam trees flower from July-September and set seed in October and November in Brazil.
Propagation and management
Propagation methodsIt is mainly propagated through natural regeneration but seed can also be planted in a mixture of clay and organic matter to a depth of 0.5 cm, covered with fine soil and watered daily. Germination beds or containers should be partially shaded. Seeds germinate in 15-30 days with a success rate of over 50%. Seedlings are ready for outplanting in 5 months. Seedlings grow to 2.5 m in 2 years.Tree Management
The trees are not a profitable source of balsam until about the 15th year. Under proper management, trees yield gum for 30-40 years. Gum harvesting begins on 20-30 year old trees with minimum diameters of 12-15 cm. Twenty year old trees yield about 3 kg of gum per year. Wild populations are the major sources of Peru and tolu balsam. Gum harvesting is drastic and may cause serious tree injury or deaths.
Germplasm Management
The presence of high levels of coumarin in the cotyledons and embryonic axis seems to have no effect on the germination of this species, but it seems to act as an allelopathic factor. There are about 1 700 seeds/kg.
Functional uses
ProductsTimber: Balsam wood is used for flooring, furniture, cabinetwork, turnery and railroad ties. It is moderately difficult to work but can be finished smoothly with a high natural polish. Heartwood is reddish brown, turning deep red or purplish upon exposure, has a spicy scent and is very resistant to fungal decay. The wood has a density of 900-1 090 kg/cubic metre and a specific gravity of 0.74-0.81. Shrinkage values from green to oven dry are very low for a wood of this density. The wood is not commercially marketed. Gum or resin: M. balsamum’s var. balsamum and pereirae yield gums called tolu and Peru balsam, respectively. These gums are used mainly as flavouring in cough syrups, soft drinks, confectionaries, ice cream and chewing gums. Essential oil: Balsam gum contains about 60% cinnamein, a volatile oil extracted by steam distillation. The oil is used in high-grade perfume, cosmetic and soap industries. Oil also used in flavouring baked goods. Its fragrance is attributed to vanillin, coumarin, cinnamic and benzoic acids. Alcohol: The seeds are used to flavour aguardiente, a popular alcoholic beverage in Latin America. Medicine: Tolu balsam is used as a feeble expectorant in cough mixtures and as an inhalant for catarrh and bronchitis. Peru balsam is used extensively as a local protectant, rubefacient, parasiticide in certain skin diseases, antiseptic, and applied externally as an ointment, or in alcoholic solutions. It is rarely used internally as an expectorant. Alcoholic extracts of tolu and Peru balsam inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis.Services
Shade or shelter: This is a good shade tree. Nitrogen fixing: The balsam tree nodulates and fixes nitrogen. Ornamental: The tree is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens. Intercropping: The Peru Balsam is grown as a coffee shade tree in El Salvador. Other services: Balsam oil is used as incense in churches and as a hair set and thickening agent.
Pests and diseasesBoth varieties of M. balsamum are attacked by a number of fungi: Meliola xylosmae, Myiocopron pereirae, Peckia pereirae, Phylosticta myroxyli, Phomopsis sp. and Tabutia xylosmae.
Bibliography
Allen ON, Allen EK. 1981. The Leguminosae. A source book of characteristics, uses and nodulation. Macmillan, London.Duke JA. 1981. Caesalpinia spinosa. In: Handbook of Legumes of World Economic Importance. Plenum Press, New York. Pp. 32-33.
NFTA. 1995. Myroxylon: balsam and much more. NFTA 95-03. Waimanalo.