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Useful Tropical Plants

Colvillea racemosa

Bojer

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Common Name:

Colvillea racemosa
Flowering tree
Photograph by: George E. Schatz
Creative Commons License
Colvillea racemosa Colvillea racemosa Colvillea racemosa Colvillea racemosa

General Information

Colvillea racemosa is a deciduous tree with an open, elongate crown and irregularly spreading or pendulous branches. It usually grows up to 20 metres tall but occasional specimens can be up to 30 metres. The bole is usually straight and cylindrical, but sometimes slightly sinuous. It can be up to 100cm in diameter[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. It is suitable for reforestation projects and is often planted as an ornamental because of its bright orange flowers and delicate foliage[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The plant is locally common, but its natural habitat of deciduous woodland is strongly fragmented[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. It is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Africa - western Madagascar.

Habitat

Woodland and seasonally dry forest, on sandy soils, at elevations up to 300 metres[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusNear Threatened
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitDeciduous Tree
Height17.00 m
Growth RateMedium
PollinatorsSunbirds
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the drier lowland tropics and subtropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 300 metres. It grows wild in areas where the mean annual rainfall is up to 700mm, occasionally to 1,200mm, with 7 - 9 dry months; and the mean annual temperature is between 24.5 - 27°c[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Plants can tolerate light frosts.
Grows best in a sunny position[
362
Title
Dominica Botanic Gardens
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.da-academy.org/trees_shrubs.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line resource, providing top quality pictures and some basic information on various plants being grown at the Botanic Gardens, often including uses and habitat.
]. Established plants are drought tolerant.
Young trees grow fairly rapidly. A mean annual bole diameter increment of 7 - 14mm has been reached during the first 10 years after planting[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree has good colonizing potential, and reforestation can be achieved by direct sowing. As such, it seems to have good potential for reforestation in regions with seasonally dry forest in Madagascar[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

The wood is yellowish white to greyish yellow. The grain is straight, texture coarse. The wood is soft and moderately light in weight. The veneering properties are satisfactory. The wood is not durable, but fairly easy to impregnate with preservatives. The wood is used for posts, carpentry, shuttering, fences and veneer. It is suitable for light joinery, interior trim, furniture, boxes and crates. The boles are used to make dug-out canoes[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and, unless sown when fresh and still moist, may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up 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. When seedlings are raised in the nursery, they can be planted into the field after 6 - 12 months when they are 50 - 100cm tall[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. When transplanting, clipping the lateral roots is advised. Direct sowing into the field is also practised[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The fruits are collected from the tree or the ground when they have become dry and blackish. The seeds are extracted manually and non-viable seeds are separated by floating in water. Viable seeds are dried in the sun. The seeds can be stored for up to 4 years and still achieve a germination rate of 50 - 70%[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Propagation by cuttings has been successful.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-05. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Colvillea+racemosa>

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