Myroxylon

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Myroxylon
Myroxylon balsamum from Koehler's Medicinal-Plants (1887)
Myroxylon balsamum from Koehler's Medicinal-Plants (1887)
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Sophoreae
Genus: Myroxylon
L.f.

Species
Myroxylon balsamum

Myroxylon peruiferum

Ref: ILDIS Version 6.05

Myroxylon is a genus of two species of South American trees in the Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The tree is well know in the western world as the source for balsam of Peru and balsam of Tolu.

They are small trees growing to 12 m tall, with evergreen pinnate leaves 15 cm long with 5-13 leaflets. The flowers are white with yellow stamens, produced in racemes. The fruit is a pod 7-11 cm long, containing a single seed.