Common Name: Axlewood

General Information

Anogeissus latifolia is a small to medium-sized, deciduous tree usually growing up to 20 metres tall but occasionally reaching 35 metres[]. The bole can be unbranched for up to 15 metres[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for several purposes but is especially valued for the large quantities of gum that flow from it. Of good quality, the gum is used locally and also traded[]. The tree has a range of other uses, including tannins from its leaves, a good quality wood and charcoal. It is planted in soil stabilization programmes.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar.

Habitat

Deciduous or semi-evergreen forest, it is a common element in teak forests but also occurs in the understorey of dipterocarp forest, in bamboo forest and even in vegetation under semi-arid conditions like savannah woodland and dry rocky hills[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of lowland, drier to moist tropical areas, where it is found at elevations up to 1,300 metres[, ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 33°c, but can tolerate 7 - 47°c[]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -2°c or lower, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 1,400mm, but tolerates 600 - 2,300mm[].
Young trees tolerate light shade, but adult trees require a sunny position[]. Grows best in a deep, fertile, well-drained soil, but can also succeed in soils of low fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Natural regeneration of this species is very good, though young trees are very intolerant of weed competition[].
The tree produces root suckers, coppices and pollards well, but these exhibit great seasonal variability[]. Coppicing and pollarding should not be done during the rainy season[]. Thinning of coppice is necessary. Coppicing is relied upon to regenerate natural stands, coppice shoots grow fairly quickly[].
Trees are easily damaged by fire[].
Its flowers are an important pollen source for bees[].

Edible Uses

The gum that exudes from the trunk, known as 'ghatti gum', has been used in sweetmeats and as an emulsifier in the food industry[, ].

Medicinal

The plant (part not specified) is atringent and cooling. It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, ulcers, piles, urinary disorders and dysuria[].
The plant is used in treating snake bites and scorpion stings in India[].

The gum is used as a tonic after delivery[].

The plant contains a range of active compounds:-
The leaves, bark and heartwood yield quinic and shikmik acids[]'
The leaves contain gallotannin (90 - 95% of the total tannin content)[].
The young leaves and shoots contain 50% tannins (dry weight basis)[].
The bark contains 12 - 18% tannins[].
The heartwood contains gallic acid, ellagic acid, plus its derivatives, quercetin and myricetin[].
The gum is mainly the calcium salt of a complex, high molecular weight polysaccharic acid (ghattic acid). It can be used as a substitute for Gum arabic (Senegalia senegal)[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is a good survivor on eroded land[]. It is used in river bank stabilization[].
The tree contributes to soil nutrient cycling, exhibiting high leaf-litter decomposition rates[].

Other Uses

Ghatty gum is an exudation obtained from the wood[, ]. Composed of yellowish-white tears, it is soluble in water, giving a very sticky mucilage[]. It is a good substitute for gum arabic and is used in calico printing, for making sweetmeats, in dye processes, and as a binding agent in pharmaceuticals[]. The gum has a great reputation in India among calicoprinters for use with certain dye-stuffs, such as turmeric[]

The leaves and bark are used as a source of tannins[].
The leaves yield a black dye that is used commercially in India[].

The wood is grey, though the sapwood of young trees is yellow; the purplish heartwood is small but very hard. The wood is elastic, hard, very strong, heavy with a density of 760-940 kg/cu m. The wood is close-grained, the texture is fine to medium and even. It is not very durable. Shrinkage upon seasoning is moderate to high, and the wood is difficult to season as it is liable to warping, splitting and surface checking. It is possible to modify surface checking completely by soaking in solutions of 50% polyethylene glycol-600 for 1 day. The wood can be difficult to saw[, , , ]. The wood is much used for making tool and implement handles in India and is also suitable for making chairs[]. It is used for erecting fences on field bunds[].
The pulp, when mixed with the pulp of other woods, can make good packing and writing paper[].
It yields an excellent charcoal and a good firewood with an energy value of 17 600-20 500 kJ/kg[, ].

Propagation

Generally, seed viability is low but increases after very dry seasons[]. Germination rates can be increased by pre-soaking the seeds for 3 minutes in hot water[].
Fruits should be collected only when they are fully ripe as immature seeds fail to germinate. The ripe fruits are collected from the trees, dried in the sun and then stored. Seed storage in metal tins or polythene containers is the best[].
Shoot cuttings failed to root and callous irrespective of IBA concentrations and method of application[].

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