I found the drink difficult to imbibe. My informant, Sr. Miguel 
Triana, stated that not everyone partakes of the beverage; the 
resinous quality is not universally enjoyed. The heated fruits are 
more palatable, although they have a sharp, tangy taste. The fruit 
is crushed between the tongue and the roof of the mouth, and the 
creamy-smooth, slightly fibrous pulp is extracted by the tongue 
from between the crisp exocarp and the bony endocarp. These 
latter parts are then expelled from the mouth. Much practice is 
necessary to accomplish this maneuver with ease. 
A collection by Cardona (Cardona 2364— Dacryodes peruviana 
var.caroniensis) reports that the fruits are eaten by the Arekuna 
Indians of Venezuela: “... arbol 30 m. cuyo fruto llamado ‘ura’ es 
comido por los Arekunas” (Cuatrecasas, 1957). Lam (1932), in his 
study of the Burseraceae for southeast Asia, mentions in the 
discussion of Darcyodes rostrata that “the fruits are said to be 
very bitter to the taste, although a Luzon specimen mentions that 
they are eatable.” Uphof (1968) states that Dacryvodes edulis from 
tropical West Africa has edible fruits that are consumed by the 
natives. Additional uses of Dacryodes described by Uphof 
include the utilization of woods in construction and the extraction 
of resins. In 1965, Sandwith described Dacryvodes trinitensis from 
Trinidad. This species which he compared with Dacryodes 
excelsa (a widespread West Indian species) and Dacryodes 
belemensis, was observed by Dr. D. W. Snow as being one of the 
most important sources of food for the Oilbird (Sreatornis 
caripensis). A discussion of the fruits and their food value, as well 
as the role that the Oilbirds might play in the dispersal of the 
Dacryodes fruits is presented by Sandwith (1965). 
The observation of the role of Dacryodes belemensis as a food 
source therefore complements previous studies of other members 
of the genus and suggests directions for future study of this little- 
known tropical species. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
I wish to thank the Director and Staff of the Instituto de 
Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Bogota) 
through which my field work was conducted, with the permission 
of INDERENA. Funding for field studies in 1979 (Colombia and 
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