ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on uses, folk medicine, chemistry, germplasm, distribution, ecology, cultivation, harvesting, yields, energy, and biotic factors of Platonia Esculenta. Seeds are the source of Bacury Kernel Oil, a nondrying oil used in the manufacture of candles and soaps. Fruits are used for pastry and preserves, and are highly esteemed in the Amazon region for the delicious pulp from the large fruit, used in sweets and ice cream. Wood, brownish-yellow, turning black upon exposure to air, is durable, resistant to insect attacks; resilient, rather fine-grained, easy to work, taking on a lustrous finish; used for flooring, planks, fancy wood-work, and construction of buildings. Wood is used for making rum barrels, and cases or crates for shipping bananas; it is also excellent for cabinet work and carpentry. Bark is white, exfoliating, fibrous, used for cordage, and yielding a black viscous resin used for caulking boats.
