Virola Aubl.

A pollen reward is present in male flowers, but not in females (Lenza and Oliveira, 2006). Male flowers open first which may help gain the pollinator's interest. It is believed that pollinators visit female flowers by mistake while looking for male flowers. Diptera, Thysanoptera,and Homoptera have been seen at flowers but the true pollinator is unclear. However, flowers have the exact traits of beetle pollination syndrome and the flower morphology requires a small pollinator to fit into the flower to access the pollen at the base. Virola sebifera can also fruit without pollination, but very few fruits mature from this process (Lenza and Oliveira, 2006).

Virola sebifera seeds are dispersed by seven species of medium and large frugivorous birds (Howe and Smallwood, 1982). The Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Keel-billed Toucans, Masked Tityras are seen frequently at these trees on Barro Colorado Island and will chase other birds from V. sebifera trees (Howe, 1981). A bird plucks a seed off of the tree and swallows it whole. The aril is ground off of the seed in the bird's gizzard and the seed is regurgitated 10-30 minutes later, hopefully in a new location. About 85% of seeds were dispersed in this manner. The rest are eaten and regurgitated at the tree (5%) or dropped by birds before being eaten (3%), or spontaneously fell off of the tree (7%). Agoutis will eat and cache these seeds and are considered a seed predator, not a disperser (Howe, 1981).

A higher crop size does not necessarily influence dispersal success in V. sebifera. In fact, at highly productive trees toucans will regurgitate seeds at the tree in order to eat more, rather than carry the seed away (Howe and Smallwood, 1982).

Whole plant: Sap for treating ulcers and skin eruptions in Guyana. Bark: Bark is soaked overnight in water and drunk as a charm for hunting savanna deer, and birds such as the powis, by the Guyana Patamona. Bark is boiled with water and used to induce vomiting or drunk as a stimulant, by the Guyana Patamona. Juice from the bark is applied as an analgesic for cracked heels, by the Guyana Patamona. Bark is soaked in water and used for bathing to break an “evil-eye” spell, by the Guyana Patamona. Macerated bark is soaked in water and drunk as an anti-diarrheal, by the Guyana Patamona. Bark and Leaf: Macerated leaves and bark placed in water overnight are drunk as a charm for hunting savanna deer (why-king), akuri (aku), and labba (uran), by the Guyana Patamona. Stem: Decoction of bitter red sap from bark is gargled or drunk by the Surinam Tirio to treat sores of the mouth and thrush. Bark is astringent; sap becomes resinous on exposure to air, used to relieve pain of toothache and to cauterize aphthae. Stem: Exudate used to treat mouth sores in NW Guyana.

Virola sebifera is a canopy tree found in primary and secondary wet forest that belongs to the Myristicaceae family. It grows from Nicaragua to Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil (Howe, 1981).  It flowers annually in the rainy season and produces small, inconspicuous, yellow flowers (Lenza and Oliveira, 2006). Virola sebifera is dioecious and produces the same sex of flowers every year (Lenza and Oliveira, 2006). The flowers are visited by various small insects and though the specific pollinators are not known, the flower has many characteristics of a beetle pollination syndrome (Lenza and Oliveira, 2006). The flower produces a dehiscent bivalve capsule that dehisces to expose a seed with a bright red aril (Hartshorn, 1983). This aril is highly nutritious and preferred by some species of medium and large frugivorous birds (Howe, 1981). These birds disperse the seeds; agoutis are known to eat and cache the seeds but are not known to disperse them (Howe, 1981). Once a seed germinates, the sapling is shade tolerant but grows quickly once canopy opens (Hartshorn, 1983).

Chile Central