Virola sebifera
Virola sebifera is a species of tree in the family Myristicaceae, from North and South America. Description V. sebifera is a tall, thin tree which grows tall. The leaves are simple and grow up to long. The small flowers are single-sexed and are found in panicles. The fruit is reddish, oval-shaped, and about long and about in diameter. The individual Virola trees, which include 40 to 60 species, are difficult to differentiate from one another. Vernacular names English: red ucuuba. Portuguese: Ucuúba-do-cerrado. Chemical constituents The bark of the tree is rich in tannins and also the hallucinogen dimethyltryptamine (DMT), as well as 5-MeO-DMT. The ripe seeds contain fatty acid glycerides, especially laurodimyristin and trimyristin. The bark contains 0.065% to 0.25% alkaloids, most of which are DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. The "juice or gum" of the bark seems to have the highest concentrations of alkaloids (up to 8%). Uses Industrial uses Seeds from V. sebifera are processed to obtain the fats, which are yellow and aromatic. They smell like nutmeg. The fats also become rancid quickly. They are used industrially in the production of fats, candles, and soaps. This virola fat possesses properties similar to cocoa butter and shea butter. The wood