Common Name:

General Information

Piptadenia stipulacea is a spiny, deciduous shrub or small tree with a small, rounded crown; it can grow 3 - 5 metres tall. The short, crooked bole can be 15 - 25cm in diameter[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. An excellent pioneer species, it can be used for restoring native woodland or for establishing woodland gardens.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northeastern Brazil.

Habitat

Semi-arid forests, in both the more dense, primary formations and also in more open areas, along roadsides etc[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	4.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the 'Caatinga' dry forest region of northeast Brazil. The climate is hot and dry, there are usually 6 to 11 months without rain each year. The mean annual rainfall varies from 250 - 1,000mm, and the mean annual temperature is from 24 - 26°c.
Grows best in a sunny position[]. Succeeds in dry soils and infertile soils[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
The plant rapidly invades open areas and so is sometimes seen as a weed[].
A very fast-growing plant[].
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

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

A very fast-growing plant that is easy to propagate; succeeds in full sun; tolerates dry and infertile soils; fixes atmospheric nitrogen and rapidly invades open areas - it is a very good plant to use as a pioneer when restoring native woodland or when establishing a woodland garden[, ].

Other Uses

The wood is medium-textured, irregular to spiral-grained, heavy, hard to cut, very durable. A good wood, but generally only available in small sizes and so only used outdoors for fences, posts etc and indoors for small constructions[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed. A high germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 10 - 20 days[].
Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have been dried for storage the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[].

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