Alchornea castaneifolia

Alchornea castaneifolia, or iporuru, belongs to the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. This evergreen tree comes from South America. Its range includes Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. It grows in lowland rainforests and on Amazon flood plains. The sources describe wild plants and their uses. People gather its bark and leaves for local medicine. In Peru, markets and herbal shops sell iporuru products.

Iporuru has a tree form that can look shrubby. Its crown is open, and its trunk is slim and straight. PFAF gives a height and spread of 26 feet (8 metres). Both sources also describe trees reaching 26–33 feet (8–10 metres). PFAF lists its growth as fast. It retains its leaves through the year. The supplied accounts give no further detail about leaf shape or bark. They also give no flower, fruit or bloom-season details.

This tree grows in sun or light shade. It prefers soil that stays moist or wet. It accepts sandy soil, loam and clay. Its stated pH range runs from very acid to mildly alkaline. Seasonal floods do not prevent its growth. In its Amazon habitat, it can spend the wet season underwater. PFAF lists USDA zones 10–12 and the older UK zone 10. The evidence does not give a modern RHS hardiness rating. PFAF lists seed as the means of propagation.

Bark and leaves have a long role in traditional medicine. People use them for joint pain, rheumatism and other ailments. Some traditions also use iporuru as an aphrodisiac or tonic. These uses do not establish that treatments work or are safe. Useful Tropical Plants notes that clinical research remains limited. It reports studies of bark extracts that reduced swelling and inflammation. Bark contains alkaloids, including alchorneine, which the source links to these effects. Harvest takes place in the dry season, when floodwater retreats. Local belief links that season with the bark's medicinal strength.

The wood provides fuel rather than a listed food crop. It is light and soft, with straight grain and medium texture. The narrow heartwood ranges from greyish to dull brown. The pale brown sapwood has a grey cast and some sheen. Neither source lists an edible use or a known hazard. That lack of reported hazards does not prove safety for people or pets. PFAF does not flag the tree as weedy. The evidence names no pests or diseases and gives no specific ornamental uses.