Chlorocardium

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Magnoliids
Ordo: Laurales

Familia: Lauraceae
Tribus: Cinnamomeae
Genus: Chlorocardium
Species: C. esmeraldense – C. rodiei – C. venenosum
Name

Chlorocardium Rohwer, H.G.Richt. & van der Werff Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 78(2): 388. (1991)

Type species: Chlorocardium rodiei (R.H. Schomb.) Rohwer, H.G.Richt. & van der Werff Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 78(2): 388–390. (1991)

References

Rohwer, J.G., Richter, H.G. & van der Werff, H.H. 1991. Two new genera of neotropical Lauraceae and critical remarks on the generic delimitation. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 78(2): 388-400. Full text BHL Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Chlorocardium in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Oct. 15. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2016. Chlorocardium. Published online. Accessed: Sept. 30 2016.
Tropicos.org 2016. Chlorocardium. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2016 Sept. 30.

Vernacular names
Nordfriisk: Greenhartbuumer

Chlorocardium is a genus of the family Lauraceae. It contains only three species, C. esmeraldense, C. rodiei and C. venenosum, and is native to northern South America. The name Chlorocardium means green (chloro-) heart (cardia), referring to the wood.

They are trees up to 40 m high, mostly 30 m high, and are hermaphrodites. They are slow-growing canopy evergreen trees and have a valuable timber. The wood and bark are pleasantly scented. They are present in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and the Guiana Shield (in northeastern Brazil, Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar and Delta Amacuro states), Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana).

The species are heavily used by the timber industry. This causes a shortage of mature trees. Their timber is of great commercial value and much exploited, but C. rodiei is able to produce sprouts from more than 50% of stumps.[1]
Ecology

Trees of this genus grow in evergreen tropical forests. The ecological requirements are those of moisture precipitating almost continuously in cloud-cover for much of the year.

The fruit, a drupe, is an important food source for birds.

The common name in Guyana is greenheart or greenhart.
References

"Regeneration through sprout formation in Chlorocardium rodiei (Lauraceae) in Guyana". [permanent dead link]