Anadenanthera macrocarpa, which is treated as a distinct species in some works[], is included here as a synonym in line with the treatment by the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Common Name: Branco

General Information

Anadenanthera colubrina is a deciduous tree with an open, sparse crown; it can grow 12 - 24 metres tall, exceptionally to 30 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for up to 7 metres and 30 - 90cm in diameter[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials. It provides a high quality, durable timber that is commonly harvested from the wild and traded. An ornamental plant, especially when in bloom, it is suitable for general landscaping in parks, public squares etc[]. The tree is also suitable for use as a pioneer species for restoring native woodland and for plantation planting as a timber crop[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

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

Habitat

Rainforests, usually at elevations above 400 metres, it is a characteristic tree of secondary growth areas[]. Common in lowland forests[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny position[]. Found in a range of usually well-drained soils in the wild, including poor stony soils, fertile soils, clay and basalt[].
Young plants establish well and grow away quickly. They easily reach a height of 4 - 5 metres within two years[].
The flowers are a good source of nectar for the bees[].
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 bark is astringent, bitter, depurative and haemostatic[, ]. It is used to treat leucorrhoea and gonorrhoea[]. It can be as a powder, tincture, infusion or extract to treat lung diseases[].

A gum obtained from the bark is used to treat respiratory complaints[].

The seeds are ground into a fine powder and used as a snuff[]. It is highly narcotic[].
Known as 'Cohoba' or 'Yopo', when this snuff is inhaled or blown in strongly, as is the more common practice, a temporary mild or deep intoxication results, and sometimes a condition described as fury or madness. Trance, too, may be superinduced, especially among shamans, with visions and spirit visitations[].
The snuff was taken for various purposes: as a stimulant in everyday use; as an excitant in drinking sprees or before war expeditions; by hunters to make them more alert and to give them keener vision; as a prophylactic against fevers; by medicine men, to induce trance, visions, and communication from spirits, and so to help in clairvoyance, prophecy, and/or divination[].
The seeds contain bufotenin[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing plant, it is a pioneer species in its native range[].

Other Uses

The source of Cebil gum, which contains 80% arabin[]. Similar to gum arabic (Vachellia nilotica), it is used mainly as a source of mucilage[].

The bark is a rich source of tannins[, , ]. The bark contains about 14% tannins[].

An aqueous extract of the seeds produced 100% mortality in third stage mosquito larvae of Aedes aegypti[]. (Report for Anadenanthera macrocarpa)

The heartwood is a pale brown-pink, darkening to uniform reddish-brown on exposure, and with darker coloured or almost black streaks; the sapwood is white-yellow or pale pink. The texture is fine and uniform; the grain usually irregular and interlocked; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The wood is heavy, very hard, highly resistant to shock, compact, of high durability outdoors. It dries slowly with little warp, but does tend to check and split in kiln- drying, particularly in thicker dimensions; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It is difficult to work because of its hardness, having a severe blunting effect on cutting edges; in planing, a 10 - 15° cutting angle is necessary for material with interlocked grain; it turns well; stains and polishes satisfactorily, with only a small amount of filler being required; pre-boring is necessary for nails, as the timber is very resistant to penetration and splits easily. The wood is used for heavy exterior construction and marine work, flooring, railroad crossties, tool handles, turnery, veneer and cabinet making[, , ].
The wood is used as a fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a relatively short viability of about 4 months[]. It is best sown as soon as ripe, in a semi-shaded position, either in a nursery bed or individual containers[]. Germination of more than 80% of the seeds usually takes place in only 4 - 8 days[]. Seedlings should be placed in individual containers by the time they are 3 - 5cm tall. They grow away quickly and are usually ready for planting out within 4 months[]

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