Common Name: Madagascar Rosewood

General Information

Madagascar rosewood is a deciduous tree usually growing up to 15 metres tall, with occasional specimens to 20 metres. The bole is often short and crooked, it can be up to 50cm in diameter[].
The tree is selectively harvested from the wild for its wood and appears to be overexploited[, ]. At one time this wood represented the bulk of timber exports from western Madagascar, and it is still exported in limited amounts. The wood is traded on the international market, usually in small amounts and at high prices, for special applications such as ornaments, turnery and musical instruments[].
Trees are sought after and selectively felled for their high-quality wood; this has led to a population decline over the entire range.The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - western Madagascar.

Habitat

Usually found in deciduous, seasonally dry forest and woodland, it is sometimes found as a shrub in grassland, at elevations up to 800 metres. It can be found on various soils, from sandy to limestone-derived and ferrallitic[]..

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	13.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Species in this genus are mainly found in the wild growing in sany soils and on limestone escarpments[]. In cultivation they are likely to do well in a fertile, loam soil and a position in full sun[].
The tree is believed to grow slowly[].
Natural regeneration of this species appears to be poor in comparison to other Dalbergia spp that come from western Madagascar, although in Morondava region the trees were found to be prolific seed bearers with abundant natural regeneration[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Pieces of branches are rubbed on stones with water to produce a paste which is applied to the face as a medicine against various ailments[].

Dichloromethane and methanolic extracts of Dalbergia greveana bark showed activity against gram-positive bacteria[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is purplish brown, often with darker stripes; it is distinctly demarcated from the lighter coloured sapwood. The grain is generally straight, texture fine to moderately fine and even. The wood is heavy; very hard; once dry, it is very stable in service; it is durable, being resistant to termite and Lyctus attacks, but only moderately resistant to marine borers. It works well, both with hand tools and machine tools, but it blunts sawteeth rapidly; for nailing and screwing pre-boring is needed; painting and varnishing give moderate results because of the oily surface of the wood; gluing properties are moderate; it is suitable for sliced veneer. A very high quality rosewood, it is much in demand for cabinet making, furniture, marquetry and parquet flooring. It is one of the favoured woods for musical instruments, not only because of its beautiful colour and venation, but also because of its clearness of tone. It is also suitable for interior trim, joinery, ship and boat building, vehicle bodies, poles and piles, precision equipment, carvings, toys and novelties, sporting goods, handles, ladders, turnery, pattern making, veneer and plywood[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

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 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[].
Softwood cuttings of many species, especially if taken from younger plants, will root in a well-drained, sandy medium in a closed case with bottom heat[].

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