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Brosimum utile
Also called Milk Tree
Brosimum utile is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae. It is a tree native the tropical Americas, including Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama in Central America, and northern South America to Bolivia and central Brazil.
The range of Brosimum utile, a shade-tolerant species native to southern Central America and northern South America, extends from Brazil and Venezuela to Costa Rica, where it is numerous in the tropical wet forests of Piedras Blancas National Park. This climax-species dominates canopies on well-drained slopes, in addition to thriving in the mountain and upland forests of the Golfo Dulce region.
The white latex of Brosimum utile is valued for its pharmacological properties and is historically used as a milk substitute by indigenous Central and South Americans. The milk, which contains 5 to 7% protein, can be used for cheese, ice cream, and other products. Taste varies between trees. Some brosmium utile trees have sweet latex, while others are bitter.
Brosimum acutifolium · Breadnut · Brosimum glaziovii · Guiana brosimum · Brosimum parinarioides · Satine · Brosimum
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Brosimum utile by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
