Common Name: Velvet Tamarind

General Information

Velvet tamarind is an evergreen shrub or a tree with a densely leafy, compact crown; it can grow up to 30 metres tall but is often smaller and shrubby. The often short bole can be up to 80cm in diameter and is free of buttresses but has narrow, thin, butt flares[, , ].
The edible fruit is a popular local food, commonly harvested from the wild[, ]. The tree also furnishes a useful timber that is traded internationally and has local medicinal uses..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western and central tropical Africa - Senegal to Nigeria and through Central African Republic to Sudan.

Habitat

Lowland, evergreen, humid or dry forests[]. Occasionally in savannah vegetation[]. Dense savannah forests, shadowy canyons and gallery forests[]. Usually found on moist, sometimes brackish soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the drier areas of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 21 - 25°c, but can tolerate 15 - 30°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 900 - 1,800mm, but tolerates 800 - 2,600mm[, ].
Prefers a humid, fertile, deep soil in full sun[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5[].
The plant usually fruits abundantly[].
The tree is hardwood and grows very slowly so it is important that care is taken when harvesting this from the wild. Always leave some to grow into mature trees to provide seed for the future[].
Harvesting the tree for its wood is difficult because the wood is dense and hard. It often has tall butt flares, which have to be slashed before cutting, as much of the wood would be wasted if the trunk were cut above them. The logs cannot be transported by river as they sink in water[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. Peeled and eaten raw[]. The red flesh inside the pod that surrounds the seeds has an agreeable, sweetly acid, somewhat astringent flavour[, , ]. It can be dried and chewed, or macerated in cold water to form a thirst-quenching, acid beverage[, ]. It is also used in the preparation of chutneys and preserves[]. The fruits are more or less circular and flattened, but sometimes almost globose, up to 25mm in diameter[].

Leaves[]. A bitter flavour[].

Medicinal

The bark and leaves are used as a treatment against several diseases[].

The root-bark is used for the treatment of coughs[].

Bark for treating stomatitis and also toothache[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is used as natural fallow species for fertility restoration[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is reddish-brown with pink streaks; the sapwood is whitish with distinct ripple marks. The texture is fine, the grain even. The wood is hard, heavy, durable. Because of the high silicate content of the timber, axes and saws quickly get blunt. A handsome wood, it is used for vehicles, houses and flooring[, , ].
Note: This plant is most commonly used to provide the wood for the fufu pestle[]. Y oung trees are cut down and destroyed for this purpose.
The wood is said to make a good fuel and charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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