The gender Jacaranda It is a member of the Bignoniaceae family, a family of dicotyledonous plants. It is common to find plants of this genus in regions of tropical and subtropical America. On the other hand, the members of the genus are characterized by presenting a tree-like life form.
Trees of the genus Jacaranda They are medium to large in size (some Brazilian species are shrubs or subshrubs). Furthermore, the leaves of these trees are bipinnate. In turn, they present inflorescence.
For their part, the fruits are oblong capsules and the seeds are thin and winged. Some trees are characterized by producing lilac flowers.
At present some 49 species of this genus are known. These species are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions and are very common in tropical America. They are pioneer species highly demanding of light.
Plants of the genus Jacaranda they have interesting biological and chemical properties. Currently, its applications range from use as an antiparasitic to use as an antitumor. Likewise, the trees of this genus are exploited for their wood.
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The gender Jacaranda It is characterized by having medium-sized trees to some large ones. However, some species in Brazil have a shrub-like or subshrub-like life form..
The foliage is deciduous and the leaves are generally bipinnate. Some trees show pinnate leaves, and few have simple leaves.
Likewise, the trees present paniculate inflorescence that can be terminal or axillary. Thus the inflorescence can be pauciflora or multiflora, and sometimes the inflorescences are born from old branches.
Meanwhile, the calyx is short and wide, bell-shaped. They can also be dome-shaped, almost truncated. The calyx generally has five denticulate or sharply lobed sepals.
On the other hand, the corolla is blue-purple, tubular, bell-shaped. It may also present pubescence or be devoid of hair. Likewise, the stamens have anthers without pubescence, frequently of a single teak. Pollen grains are smooth on their cover and have three openings at their equator..
On the other hand, the fruits of Jacaranda plants are oblong capsules, frequently flattened perpendicular to the septum. In addition, the capsules are dehiscent perpendicular to the septum and parallel to the compression plane..
On the other hand, the fruit valves are glabrous (without pubescence) with a wavy margin. In turn, the seeds are thin and winged, with hyaline or brown membranous wings.
The gender Jacaranda It contains 49 species around the world and they are native to Central America, the Caribbean and South America. In tropical America they are distributed from the south of Mexico, passing through the Antilles, until reaching Argentina. They are also widely cultivated on the European continent.
Of the 49 species of Jacaranda, 39 taxa are endemic to Brazil. Several of these Brazilian species have been reported from a single location: Jacaranda bullata, Jacaranda egleri, Jacaranda intricata, Jacaranda morii, Jacaranda paucifoliolata, Jacaranda praetermissa.
By your side, Jacaranda decurrens it is an endemic species of the Cerrado region in Brazil. Other species, Jacaranda copaia, It is considered a neotropical species of humid forests that is distributed from Belize, through Brazil and Bolivia.
In Colombia there are eight taxa represented, of which one is not native: Jacaranda mimosifolia. This last species is distributed by the northeast of Argentina and bordering areas of Bolivia, and is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries..
Generally the trees of Jacaranda they are pioneers. This leads to them being very light demanding as well, which is why they tend to colonize clearings in forests..
For their part, the seeds are scattered by the wind, after which they germinate. They can later colonize the open areas that were created by falling trees..
The gender Jacaranda It comprises about 49 species worldwide, of which the following can be mentioned:
The trees of Jacaranda They are widely used in the lumber industry, due to the physical properties of the wood produced. The high degree of hardness of their logs, and especially their properties and appearances, make them used in the production of high value manufactured articles such as furniture..
In Brazil, the timber industry from Jacaranda it has been on the rise in recent years. The exploitation of wood, mainly of the species J. copaia have made Brazil one of the first wood producers.
The trees of J. copaia They have high potential to be exploited for their wood, since they are considered the fastest growing timber tree.
Also, the species of Jacaranda they have ethnobotanical qualities, due to the fact that certain metabolites have antiparasitic properties, mainly against malaria. Some of its metabolites, mainly triterpenes, phenols and quinones, are highly studied for their active properties. Similarly, extracts from some species of this genus have been found to have antitumor properties.
For example, J. acutifolia It is used in the treatment of wounds and dermatitis. The foliar extracts of J. caerulea They are used for the treatment of abscesses and pimples. For his part J. caroba it is used as an astringent, as a diuretic and against syphilis. In Bolivia, J. cuspidifolia it is used to treat leishmaniasis. The latter disease is treated by the extracts of several species of Jacaranda.
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