Common Name:

General Information

Dimorphandra mollis is a deciduous tree with an open crown growing 8 - 14 metres tall. The bole can be 30 - 50cm in diameter[].
The bark is commonly used in Brazil to treat wounds and various skin problems. The bark is also a source of tannins, dyestuff and ink.

Known Hazards

The seedpods are toxic to cattle[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Paraguay, central and eastern Brazil, Bolivia.

Habitat

Savannah areas, where it can be found in primary as well as secondary woodlands, usually on the upper slopes and in well-drained soils[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[]. Succeeds in poor and dry soils[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Newly planted young trees are fairly slow to establish, not reaching more than 2.5 metres tall by the end of the second year[].
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

None known

Medicinal

The fruits contain the flavonoid 'rutin'. Rutin is widely used to produce medicines for human circulatory diseases and is extracted on a commercial basis in Brazil[].

The bark has the same medicinal uses as Stryphnodendron adstringens[]. These are as follows:-

The bark is strongly astringent, haemostatic, styptic and vulnerary due to the presence of tannins[, , ]. It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery; haemorrhages of the uterus[].
Applied externally, the bark is used to treat wounds, ulcers and various skin problems[].
One of the trees many common names, Virgin's Bark, derives from the use made of it by prostitutes[].

The seedpods are equally rich in tannin and have similar uses[].

The leaves are tonic[, ].

Other Uses

The leaves are used as a stuffing material for making pads to cushion saddles and yokes[].

The bark is rich in tannins[].

The wood is moderately heavy, soft to cut, the grain even to irregular[]. It is resistant to the attacks of wood-eating organisms and is used for boards, boxes, veneers, panels and toys[].
The wood is used for fuel and for making charcoal[].

The following use for Stryphnodendron adstringens also applies to this species[].

A red dye is obtained from the bark[]. It can be used to make a red ink[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat that needs to be treated in order to allow the seed to imbibe moisture and therefore improve germination rates. This can be done in various ways - abrading or nicking the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) works well with smaller quantities of seeds, whilst soaking for a few minutes in almost boiling water and then for 12 - 24 hours in warm water is more efficient with larger numbers of seeds. Sow the seed in a semi-shaded position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. Germination rates of around 30% or more can be expected within 10 - 30 days[]. Transplant seedlings to individual containers when they are about 4cm tall. They are normally ready for planting out about 8 - 10 months later[].

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