Protium (plant) explained

Protium is a genus of more than 140 species of flowering plants in the family Burseraceae. It is native to the Neotropics from northern Mexico to Paraguay and southern Brazil, and to Madagascar, the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, southern China, the Philippines, Java, and New Guinea.^[1] The genus had been included in Bursera, but is distinct.^[2]

The species are usually small or medium-sized trees, but some can be large, up to 35m (115feet) tall. In their native range, some species are grown for timber, used as firewood, as medicinal plants, for their fruit, their resin (Copal) or in other cultural contexts.

Species

151 species are accepted.

• Protium acrense
• Protium aguilarii
• Protium aidanianum
• Protium altissimum
• Protium altsonii
• Protium alvarezianum
• Protium amazonicum
• Protium amplum
• Protium almecega March.
• Protium apiculatum Sw.
• Protium aracouchini
• Protium araguense
• Protium atlanticum
• Protium attenuatum
• Protium bahianum
• Protium balsamiferum
• Protium bangii
• Protium baracoense
• Protium beandou
• Protium boomii
• Protium brasiliense
• Protium brenesii
• Protium breviacuminatum
• Protium buenaventurense
• Protium calanense
• Protium calendulinum
• Protium carana
• Protium carnosum
• Protium carolense
• Protium catuaba
• Protium cerradicola
• Protium chagrense
• Protium colombianum
• Protium confusum (synonym Protium correae)
• Protium connarifolium
• Protium copal
• Protium cordatum
• Protium coriaceum
• Protium cornutum
• Protium costaricense
• Protium cranipyrenum
• Protium crassipetalum
• Protium crenatum
• Protium cubense
• Protium cundinamarcense
• Protium cuneatum
• Protium cuneifolium
• Protium dawsonii
• Protium decandrum
• Protium decorum
• Protium demerarense
• Protium divaricatum
• Protium ecuadorense
• Protium elegans
• Protium ferrugineum
• Protium fragrans
• Protium gallicum
• Protium gallosum
• Protium giganteum
• Protium glabrescens
• Protium glabrum
• Protium glaucescens
• Protium glaucum
• Protium glaziovii
• Protium glomerulosum
• Protium goudotianum
• Protium grandifolium
• Protium guacayanum
• Protium guianense
• Protium hammelii
• Protium hebetatum Daly^[3]
• Protium heptaphyllum (Aubl.) Marchand
• Protium herbertii
• Protium icicariba (= Icica icicariba)
• Protium inodorum
• Protium insigne
• Protium javanicum
• Protium kleinii
• Protium klugii
• Protium krukoffii
• Protium laxiflorum
• Protium leptostachyum
• Protium llanorum
• Protium macgregorii
• Protium macrocarpum
• Protium macrophyllum
• Protium macrosepalum
• Protium madagascariense
• Protium maestrense
• Protium mcleodii
• Protium melinonis
• Protium meridionale
• Protium minutiflorum
• Protium montanum
• Protium morii
• Protium mucronatum
• Protium multijugum
• Protium multiramiflorum
• Protium nervosum
• Protium nitidifolium
• Protium nodulosum
• Protium obtusifolium (Lam.) Marchand (= Dammara graveolens)
• Protium occhionii
• Protium occultum
• Protium opacum
• Protium ovatum
• Protium oxapampae
• Protium pallidum
• Protium panamense
• Protium paniculatum
• Protium pecuniosum
• Protium peruvianum
• Protium pilosellum
• Protium pilosissimum
• Protium pilosum
• Protium pittieri
• Protium plagiocarpium
• Protium polybotryum
• Protium prancei
• Protium pristifolium
• Protium ptarianum
• Protium pullei
• Protium puncticulatum
• Protium ravenii
• Protium reticulatum
• Protium retusum
• Protium rhoifolium
• Protium rhynchophyllum
• Protium robustum
• Protium rubrum
• Protium sagotianum
• Protium santamariae
• Protium serratum
• Protium spruceanum
• Protium stevensonii
• Protium strumosum
• Protium subacuminatum
• Protium subserratum
• Protium surinamense
• Protium tenuifolium
• Protium tonkinense
• Protium tonyanum
• Protium tovarense
• Protium trifoliolatum
• Protium unifoliolatum
• Protium urophyllidium
• Protium varians
• Protium veneralense
• Protium vestitum
• Protium warmingianum
• Protium widgrenii Engl.
• Protium yanachagae
• Protium yunnanense

Uses

• Caranna, medicinal gum

References

• Flora of Pakistan (treats species in the genus Bursera)

Notes and References

1. Daly. Douglas Charles de Burgh. Fine. Paul Van Antwerp. Martínez-Habibe. María Cristina. March 2012. Burseraceae: a model for studying the Amazon flora. Rodriguésia. 63. 1. 021–030. 10.1590/s2175-78602012000100002. 2175-7860. free.
2. Burseraceae: a model for studying the Amazon flora. Douglas Charles de Burgh Daly . Paul Van Antwerp Fine . María Cristina Martínez-Habibe . January–March 2012. Rodriguésia. 63. 1. 021–030. 10.1590/S2175-78602012000100002. free.
3. Notes on the Burseraceae in central Amazonia, including four new taxa. Studies in neotropical Burseraceae XXVI. Douglas C. Daly. 2018. 70. Brittonia. 4. 427–444. 10.1007/s12228-018-9537-1. 52123286.