Common Name:

General Information

Bauhinia ungulata is a spiny, semideciduous shrub or small tree with a low, dense, roundish crown; it can grow up to 5 metres tall. The short bole can be 15 - 25cm in diameter[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It can be grown as a pioneer species when restoring native woodland.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana; C. America - Panama to Mexico.

Habitat

Forested coastal sandbars, semideciduous forests and gallery forests, favouring the more open and secondary areas of growth[]. Wet to dry thickets, or in forest; at elevations up to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	4.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bats
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a sunny position[].
Young plants have a rapid rate of growth[].
Although many species within the family Fabaceae have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, this species is said to be devoid of such a relationship and therefore does not fix atmospheric nitrogen[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The extract of the plant is reported to have purgative and vermicidal properties, and is administered to expel intestinal parasites[].
That the plant has sudorific properties[].

A decoction of the leaves is said to alleviate urinary disorders and cases of diarrhoea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A tough, fast-growing tree tolerant of full sun, it can be used as a pioneer plant when restoring native woodland[].

Other Uses

The wood is coarse-textured, spiral-grained, heavy, strong and very durable. Of good quality but, because of its small size, it is usually only employed as stakes, posts and for simple constructions[, ]. The flexible poles cut from the tree are much used for constructing huts[]. Because of their pliability, the young trees are used to bind together the upright poles which form the walls of Maya houses[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate of less than 20% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 7 - 14 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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