Common products:
- Light‑colored heartwood and sapwood marketed as “amara” or “marupá” timber for interior finishes, furniture, veneer, plywood and pulp.
- Seed kernels yielding a non‑drying oil processed into industrial soap and lubricant feedstocks.
- Bark and young shoots providing hydrolyzable tannins employed in leather tanning.

Industrial and craft applications:
- Wood chips and sawdust are used in kraft pulp mills for papermaking and in the production of particleboard and medium‑density fiberboard (MDF); they are also converted to charcoal for domestic fuel.
- The seed oil is saponified to produce solid and liquid soaps and may be esterified for biodegradable lubricants.

Colorants and tanning:
- Extracts from the bark contain hydrolyzable tannins with a phenolic content suitable for leather‑tanning processes, imparting a light tan colour to finished hides.

Wood and fiber:
- The species produces a low‑density wood (specific gravity 0.33–0.44 g cm⁻³) with a cellulose content of about 45–55 % and a lignin proportion of 20–25 %. This composition yields a pulp with good brightness and moderate tensile strength, making the timber suitable for interior paneling, doors, crates and lightweight furniture rather than exterior construction.

Properties relevant to use:
- Wood: moderate shrinkage, low durability against insects, but good workability and low moisture uptake.
- Seed oil: high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acids) with a low iodine value (≈ 100 g I₂ 100 g⁻¹), indicating low drying capacity; the oil’s acid value meets ISO 660 specifications for industrial soaps.
- Tannins: hydrolyzable tannins rich in gallic acid derivatives, conferring high binding capacity for protein fibers in leather.

Standards and regulation:
- Brazil’s ABNT NBR 7190 (Timber Structures) governs the grading and design values for construction timber; Simarouba amara timber is classified in the “light‑wood” category for interior applications.
- The seed oil used in soap production conforms to ISO 660 (Animal and vegetable fats and oils – Determination of acid value) and relevant national cosmetic regulations (e.g., ANVISA – Brazil) for raw material purity.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- Simarouba amara is a fast‑growing pioneer species that readily colonizes secondary forest gaps in the Amazon basin, allowing selective harvesting without forest conversion. Plantations in Brazil and Colombia operate under Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) schemes, providing chain‑of‑custody certification for timber and seed‑oil products.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name	Authority	First published in
Pistacia americana	Mill.	Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 7 (1768)
Zwingera amara	Willd.	Sp. Pl., ed. 4 , 2: 569 (1799)
Simarouba amara var. opaca	Engl.	Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3(4): 213 (1896)
Simarouba amara var. puberula	Cuatrec.	Revista Acad. Colomb. Ci. Exact. 8: 466 (1952)
Quassia alatifolia	Stokes	Bot. Mat. Med. 2: 491 (1812)
Quassia dioica	O.Berg	Mater. Med. : 355 (1778)
Quassia officinalis	Rich.	Actes Soc. Hist. Nat. Paris 1: 108 (1792)
Quassia simaruba	L.f.	Suppl. Pl. : 234 (1782)
Quassia simarouba	W.Wright	Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh 2: 80, nom. illegit. 1790 ; cf. D.J. Mabberley in Taxon, 30(1): 12. 1981
Simarouba opaca	Radlk. ex F.Boas	Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 29(1): 332 (1913)
Simarouba amara var. typica	Cronquist	Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 71: 229 (1944)

Common names Top

Add a new one! Suggest a correction!

Filter by language:

Language	Common/alternative name
Spanish	simarouba amara var. opaca
Spanish	simarouba amara var. typica
Spanish	simarouba opaca
Spanish	zwingera amara
Arabic	قصب مر/ سماروبه
Hindi	लक्ष्मी तरु
Indonesian	marupa
Malayalam	ലക്ഷ്മിതരു

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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No subspecies added yet.

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:

- Doubtful data

- Extinct

- Introduced

- Native

Northern America click to expand
- Mexico
  - Mexico Central
  - Mexico Gulf
  - Mexico Southeast
  - Mexico Southwest

Southern America click to expand
- Brazil
  - Brazil North
  - Brazil Northeast
  - Brazil Southeast
  - Brazil West-central
- Caribbean
  - Leeward Islands
  - Southwest Caribbean
  - Trinidad-Tobago
  - Windward Islands
- Central America
  - Belize
  - Costa Rica
  - El Salvador
  - Guatemala
  - Honduras
  - Nicaragua
  - Panamá
- Northern South America
  - French Guiana
  - Guyana
  - Suriname
  - Venezuela
- Western South America
  - Bolivia
  - Colombia
  - Ecuador
  - Peru

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!

Database	ID/link to page
World Flora Online	wfo-0000492139
UNII	1XP13GJA11
Tropicos	29400090
INPN	630675
KEW	urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:814124-1
The Plant List	kew-2580434
PFAF	Simarouba amara
Open Tree Of Life	452697
Observations.org	209618
NCBI Taxonomy	101569
IUCN Red List	61966243
IPNI	814124-1
iNaturalist	291679
GBIF	7329602
Freebase	/m/0g59rtq
EPPO	SMBAM
Elurikkus	616735
USDA GRIN	33956
Wikipedia	Simarouba_amara

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.

Accession	Assembly
Accession	Name	Level	Submitter	Released	Coverage	Size
GCA_056153145.1	Sam_ufg	Scaffold	Universidade Federal de Goias	2026-03-19	36	272.91 Mb

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.

Title

Authors

Publication

Released

IDs

Linking Anthropogenic Landscape Perturbation to Herbivory and Pathogen Leaf Damage in Tropical Tree Communities

Pablo-Rodríguez JL, Bravo-Monzón ÁE, Montiel-González C, Benítez-Malvido J, Álvarez-Betancourt S, Ramírez-Sánchez O, Oyama K, Arena-Ortiz ML, Alvarez-Añorve MY, Avila-Cabadilla LD

Plants (Basel)

13-Nov-2023

PMCID:	PMC10675074
doi:	10.3390/plants12223839
PMID:	38005736

Plant sex influences on riparian communities and ecosystems

Scheuerell RP, LeRoy CJ

Ecol Evol

12-Jul-2023

PMCID:	PMC10337289
doi:	10.1002/ece3.10308
PMID:	37449021

Transcriptomic Evidence Reveals Low Gelatinous Layer Biosynthesis in Neolamarckia cadamba after Gravistimulation

Qaseem MF, Wang K, Yang H, Zhao S, Li H, Wu AM

Int J Mol Sci

23-Dec-2022

PMCID:	PMC9820806
doi:	10.3390/ijms24010268
PMID:	36613711

Natural products in cosmetics

Liu JK

Nat Prod Bioprospect

28-Nov-2022

PMCID:	PMC9702281
doi:	10.1007/s13659-022-00363-y
PMID:	36437391

Large differences in leaf cuticle conductance and its temperature response among 24 tropical tree species from across a rainfall gradient

Slot M, Nardwattanawong T, Hernández GG, Bueno A, Riederer M, Winter K

New Phytol

06-Aug-2021

PMCID:	PMC9290923
doi:	10.1111/nph.17626
PMID:	34270792

Climate change may induce connectivity loss and mountaintop extinction in Central American forests

Baumbach L, Warren DL, Yousefpour R, Hanewinkel M

Commun Biol

15-Jul-2021

PMCID:	PMC8282624
doi:	10.1038/s42003-021-02359-9
PMID:	34267317

Mega-dams and extreme rainfall: Disentangling the drivers of extensive impacts of a large flooding event on Amazon Forests

Oliveira WL, Medeiros MB, Moser P, Simon MF

PLoS One

12-Feb-2021

PMCID:	PMC7880702
doi:	10.1371/journal.pone.0245991
PMID:	33578410

Trees as net sinks for methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the lowland tropical rain forest on volcanic Réunion Island

Machacova K, Borak L, Agyei T, Schindler T, Soosaar K, Mander Ü, Ah‐Peng C

New Phytol

18-Nov-2020

PMCID:	PMC7894294
doi:	10.1111/nph.17002
PMID:	33058184

Emerging paradigms of viral diseases and paramount role of natural resources as antiviral agents

Sagaya Jansi R, Khusro A, Agastian P, Alfarhan A, Al-Dhabi NA, Arasu MV, Rajagopal R, Barcelo D, Al-Tamimi A

Sci Total Environ

07-Nov-2020

PMCID:	PMC7833357
doi:	10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143539
PMID:	33234268

N/A

Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary

16-Oct-2020

PMCID:	PMC9771675
doi:	10.1016/B978-0-7020-7463-9.50027-6

Dataset of permanent plots of trees with dbh >10cm in Mashpi rainforest biodiversity reserve, a remnant of the Chocó forest in Northern Ecuador

Toasa G, Morochz C, Oleas NH

Data Brief

12-Jun-2020

PMCID:	PMC7327807
doi:	10.1016/j.dib.2020.105845
PMID:	32637474

Gentiana lutea Extract Modulates Ceramide Synthesis in Primary and Psoriasis-Like Keratinocytes

Gendrisch F, Nováčková A, Sochorová M, Haarhaus B, Vávrová K, Schempp CM, Wölfle U

Molecules

16-Apr-2020

PMCID:	PMC7221824
doi:	10.3390/molecules25081832
PMID:	32316273

Janzen-Connell effects shape gene flow patterns and realized fitness in the tropical dioecious tree Spondias purpurea (ANACARDIACEAE)

Cristóbal-Pérez EJ, Fuchs EJ, Olivares-Pinto U, Quesada M

Sci Rep

12-Mar-2020

PMCID:	PMC7067871
doi:	10.1038/s41598-020-61394-4
PMID:	32165645

Dataset on wood density of trees in ecotone forests in Northern Brazilian Amazonia

Farias HL, Silva WR, Perdiz RD, Citó AC, Carvalho LC, Barbosa RI

Data Brief

07-Mar-2020

PMCID:	PMC7090334
doi:	10.1016/j.dib.2020.105378
PMID:	32215302

How does bark contribution to postural control change during tree ontogeny? A study of six Amazonian tree species

Lehnebach R, Alméras T, Clair B

J Exp Bot

13-Feb-2020

PMCID:	PMC7210755
doi:	10.1093/jxb/eraa070
PMID:	32052058

Phytochemical Profile Top

Add a new one!

Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.

Name	PubChem ID	Canonical SMILES	MW	Found in	Proof
> Alkaloids and derivatives / Indolonaphthyridine alkaloids
6H-Indolo[3,2,1-de][1,5]naphthyridin-6-one, 5-hydroxy-	135735549	Click to see C1=CC=C2C(=C1)C3=C4N2C(=O)C(=CC4=NC=C3)O	236.22	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86773-4
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene lactones / Quassinoids
[(1S,4R,5R,6R,7S,8R,11R,13S,17S,18S,19R)-4,5,17-Trihydroxy-6,14,18-trimethyl-9,16-dioxo-3,10-dioxapentacyclo[9.8.0.01,7.04,19.013,18]nonadec-14-en-8-yl] 2-hydroxy-2-methylbutanoate	12310232	Click to see	494.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(88)90126-2
[(1S,4R,5R,6R,7S,8R,11R,17S,18S)-4,5,17-trihydroxy-6,14,18-trimethyl-9,16-dioxo-3,10-dioxapentacyclo[9.8.0.01,7.04,19.013,18]nonadec-14-en-8-yl] 2-methylbutanoate	118701210	Click to see	478.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(88)90126-2
2'-Acetylglaucarubinone	303910	Click to see	536.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(88)90126-2
Ailanthinone	428489	Click to see CCC(C)C(=O)OC1C2C(C(C3(C4C2(CO3)C(CC5C4(C(C(=O)C=C5C)O)C)OC1=O)O)O)C	478.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(88)90126-2
Glaucarubinone	441796	Click to see CCC(C)(C(=O)OC1C2C(C(C3(C4C2(CO3)C(CC5C4(C(C(=O)C=C5C)O)C)OC1=O)O)O)C)O	494.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(88)90126-2
Holacanthone	158475	Click to see	436.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(88)90126-2
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids
(13alpha,14beta,17alpha)-Lanosta-7,24-dien-3-one	163012852	Click to see CC(CCC=C(C)C)C1CCC2(C1(CCC3C2=CCC4C3(CCC(=O)C4(C)C)C)C)C	424.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
(2S)-6-methyl-2-[(5S,9R,10R,13S,14S,17S)-4,4,10,13,14-pentamethyl-3-oxo-1,2,5,6,9,11,12,15,16,17-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-yl]hept-5-enal	162931931	Click to see	438.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)89027-5
(5R,10S,13S,14S,17S)-17-[(2R,4S)-4-[(2S)-3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl]-4-hydroxybutan-2-yl]-4,4,10,13,14-pentamethyl-1,2,5,6,7,11,12,15,16,17-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-one	162890208	Click to see	456.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
(5R,9S,10R,13S,14S,17S)-17-[(2R,4R)-4-[(2S)-3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl]-4-hydroxybutan-2-yl]-4,4,10,13,14-pentamethyl-1,2,5,6,9,11,12,15,16,17-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-one	162983975	Click to see	456.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
(5S,9R,10R,13S,14S,17S)-4,4,10,13,14-pentamethyl-17-[(2S)-6-methylhept-5-en-2-yl]-1,2,5,6,9,11,12,15,16,17-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-one	124902223	Click to see	424.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)89027-5
17-[4-(3,3-Dimethyloxiran-2-yl)-4-hydroxybutan-2-yl]-4,4,10,13,14-pentamethyl-1,2,5,6,7,11,12,15,16,17-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-one	162890207	Click to see CC(CC(C1C(O1)(C)C)O)C2CCC3(C2(CCC4=C3CCC5C4(CCC(=O)C5(C)C)C)C)C	456.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
17-[4-(3,3-Dimethyloxiran-2-yl)-4-hydroxybutan-2-yl]-4,4,10,13,14-pentamethyl-1,2,5,6,9,11,12,15,16,17-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-one	3691820	Click to see	456.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
6-Methyl-2-(4,4,10,13,14-pentamethyl-3-oxo-1,2,5,6,9,11,12,15,16,17-decahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-yl)hept-5-enal	162931929	Click to see	438.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)89027-5
Butyrospermone	4205159	Click to see CC(CCC=C(C)C)C1CCC2(C1(CCC3C2=CCC4C3(CCC(=O)C4(C)C)C)C)C	424.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)89027-5
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids / Limonoids
(1S,2R,5R,11R,12R,15R,16R)-16-[(2S)-2-[(2R)-3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl]-2,3-dihydrofuran-4-yl]-2,6,6,11-tetramethyl-7-oxapentacyclo[13.3.1.01,15.02,12.05,11]nonadec-9-ene-3,8-dione	162902038	Click to see CC1(C2CC(=O)C3(C(C2(C=CC(=O)O1)C)CCC45C3(C4)CCC5C6=COC(C6)C7C(O7)(C)C)C)C	480.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
[(1R,2R,3S,8R,10R,11R,15R,16S)-3-acetyloxy-15-[(2S)-2-[(2R)-3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl]-5-oxo-2H-furan-4-yl]-2,7,7,11,16-pentamethyl-5-oxo-6-oxatetracyclo[9.7.0.02,8.012,16]octadec-12-en-10-yl] acetate	163034084	Click to see	598.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
[(1S,2R,3R,5R,10S,11R,12R,15R,16R)-10-acetyloxy-16-[(2S)-2-[(2R)-3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl]-5-oxo-2H-furan-4-yl]-2,6,6,11-tetramethyl-8-oxo-7-oxapentacyclo[13.3.1.01,15.02,12.05,11]nonadecan-3-yl] acetate	163073289	Click to see	598.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
[(1S,2R,3R,5R,11R,12R,13R,15S,16R)-3-acetyloxy-16-[(2S)-2-[(2S)-3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl]-5-oxo-2H-furan-4-yl]-2,6,6,11-tetramethyl-8-oxo-7-oxapentacyclo[13.3.1.01,15.02,12.05,11]nonadec-9-en-13-yl] (E)-2-methylbut-2-enoate	162859985	Click to see	636.80	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
[10-acetyloxy-16-[2-(3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl)-5-oxo-2H-furan-4-yl]-2,6,6,11-tetramethyl-8-oxo-7-oxapentacyclo[13.3.1.01,15.02,12.05,11]nonadecan-3-yl] acetate	73238336	Click to see	598.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
[3-acetyloxy-15-[2-(3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl)-5-oxo-2H-furan-4-yl]-2,7,7,11,16-pentamethyl-5-oxo-6-oxatetracyclo[9.7.0.02,8.012,16]octadec-12-en-10-yl] acetate	73238339	Click to see	598.70	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
[3-acetyloxy-16-[2-(3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl)-5-oxo-2H-furan-4-yl]-2,6,6,11-tetramethyl-8-oxo-7-oxapentacyclo[13.3.1.01,15.02,12.05,11]nonadec-9-en-13-yl] 2-methylbut-2-enoate	73238338	Click to see	636.80	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
16-[2-(3,3-Dimethyloxiran-2-yl)-2,3-dihydrofuran-4-yl]-2,6,6,11-tetramethyl-7-oxapentacyclo[13.3.1.01,15.02,12.05,11]nonadec-9-ene-3,8-dione	73238335	Click to see	480.60	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acid derivatives / Alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic esters / Enoate esters
(1S,2R,5R,11R,12R,15R)-2,6,6,11-tetramethyl-7-oxapentacyclo[13.3.1.01,15.02,12.05,11]nonadec-9-ene-3,8-dione	16086564	Click to see	342.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F
2,6,6,11-Tetramethyl-7-oxapentacyclo[13.3.1.01,15.02,12.05,11]nonadec-9-ene-3,8-dione	73238340	Click to see	342.50	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/NP060214F

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Simarouba amara

Table of Contents

Details Top

Ethnobotanical Use Top

General Uses Top

Synonyms Top

Common names Top

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

Germination/Propagation Top

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Links to other databases Top

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Scientific Literature Top

Phytochemical Profile Top

Gallery Top

Contributors Top

Collections Top