Scientific American: One of the most peculiar vegetable products of Brazil is the Moquilea utilis, or pottery tree. This tree attains a height 100 feet, and has a very slender trunk, which seldom exceeds a foot in diameter at the base. The wood is exceedingly hard, and contains a very large amount of silica, but not so much as does the bark, which is largely employed as a source of silica for the manufacture of pottery. In preparing the bark for the potter’s use it is first burned, and the residue is then pulverized and mixed with clay in the proper proportion. With an equal quantity of the two ingredients a superior quality of earthenware is produced. This is very durable and is capable of withstanding any amount of heat. The natives employ it for all kinds of culinary purposes. When dry it is generally brittle, though sometimes difficult to break. After being burned it can not, if of good quality, be broken between the fingers, a mortar and pestle being required to crush it.
I’m unable to find out any information about the utility of M. utilis bark, because the most predominant refereneces to it are as a host for Cryptococcus neoformans, the fungus which causes cryptococcosis (primarily in AIDS patients). Actually, the references are to M. tomentosa, which I’m assuming is the new name for the tree? Can’t tell, since most non-medical references are in Portuguese.
Well, that was unexpected. What in the world isn’t in some way harmful and useful at the same time?