Common Name:

General Information

Cyclolobium brasiliense is an evergreen or semideciduous tree with a dense, globose crown; it can grow 7 - 10 metres tall. The short, cylindrical bole can be 30 - 40cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is used locally. It is not available in sufficient quantity to justify marketing[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia.

Habitat

Dense rainforests, favouring small gullies and alluvial lowlands[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.50 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best with some shade[].
A fairly slow-growing plant, reaching a height of around 2 metres within 2 years from seed[].
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

Other Uses

The wood is straight-grained, medium to fine-textured, low-lustred, hard, heavy, very durable in contact with the elements. It is not difficult to work and finishes smoothly. It is used for indoor finishing in construction, furniture, decorative veneers and wainscotings[, ].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and 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. Sow the seed in a partially shaded position in individual containers. A germination rate of only around 20% can be expected for untreated seeds, with the seed sprouting within 15 - 25 days[]. The seedlings develop slowly, but they should be ready to plant out 8 - 9 months later[].
The seed has a viability of 2 - 3 months in storage[].

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