Cecropia Peltata

L.

Trumpet tree (E); Eporro (Ch); Guarumo (P); Nilauala (Cu); Yarumo (C) . The buds serve as a potherb. Indians eat the pith. The caustic sap is used to remove warts. The wood makes good tinder and the ashes contain lime. The trunk is used for water troughs. The bark is used for cordage, mats, and the make cloth. The leaves are used to treat hemorrhage, liver ailments, dropsy, and dysentery, and are smoked like tobacco in the Pearl Islands (!). Chips of the wood have been mixed with concrete in Panama to make a paneling which is said to be economical, attractive and useful (!). On young trees there is often a caterpillar which teh Choco decapitate. This yields a red "magic-marker", the resultant stain, said to be a little caustic, lasting longer than Genipa stain (!). Sap of Cecropia virgusa is considered a good lubricant for wooden instruments, such as cane presses, etc.