Common Name:

General Information

Terminalia fagifolia is a semideciduous tree with a dense, longish or pyramidal crown; it can grow 5 - 10 metres tall. The short, usually cylindrical bole can be 30 - 50cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its good quality wood, which is used locally, It has an ornamental crown and could be used in landscaping[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - central and northeastern Brazil, Bolivia.

Habitat

Dryland forest, savannah and wooded savannah, found mainly in secondary formations and near rivers where the land does not become seasonally inundated, favouring deep, fertile, well-drained soils[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	7.50 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

As part of its range, this species grows in the 'Caatinga' dry forest region of northeast Brazil. The climate there 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[]. Prefers a well-drained, deep, fertile soil[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Plants have a moderate rate of growth[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A red resin exudes from the bark[].

The wood is medium-textured, cross-grained, heavy, hard to cut, with excellent mechanical properties and very durable. It is used in general construction for purposes such as beams, scantlings, laths and floor boards; for cart bodies, making furniture etc[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

We do not have any more specific information on the wood from this species. However, all the Terminalia species from the tropical Americas are said to have similar woods[], the following is a general description of that wood:-
The heartwood is a light yellow to yellow brown, sometimes with reddish veins; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 8cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain is straight. The wood is heavy to very heavy; hard to very hard; elastic; moderately durable, being resistant to dry wood borers and moderately resistant to fungi and termites. It seasons slowly with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable to stable in service. It has a fairly high blunting effect, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good if the holes are pre-bored; gluing is poor. A good quality wood, it is used for high quality furniture, cabinet making, arched goods, turnery, industrial flooring, ship building, joinery, tool handles, moulding, veneer etc[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed. A low germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 28 - 42 days[].

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