Common Name:

General Information

Dialium dinklagei is a deciduous tree with a light, spreading crown of pendulous branches; it usually grows 7 - 20 metres tall, occasionally reaching 30 metres. The bole can be 60 - 100cm in diameter, rarely with narrow buttresses but with thick, heavy root swellings[, , , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for llocal use as a food, medicine and source of wood. The very heavy, durable wood is of good quality and is commonly harvested from the wild for trade.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to southern Central African Republic, south to Gabon, western Congo and western DR Congo.

Habitat

River and lagoon sides; humid gullies; evergreen and deciduous forest; somtimes in marshy places; half-deciduous forest with Celtis; scattered in many types of forest; at elevations up to 500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

The fruit pulp is edible; a refreshing drink is made by maceration of the fruit pulp in water[].

The acid-tasting leaves are eaten as vegetable[].

Medicinal

The acid-tasting leaves are eaten as vegetable to treat complaints of the respiratory organs[]. A decoction of the leaves is taken as a treatment for jaundice, haematuria and fevers[].

Bark infusions are used as a purgative[].
An infusion of the bark is applied topically to treat arthritis[].

Other Uses

The heart wood is light pinkish-brown to brown or red-brown, sometimes very dark; it is clearly demarcated from the 4 - 8cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight to entangled. The wood is heavy to very heavy, hard to very hard, elastic; it is very durable, even in fresh water, resisting attacts by fungi, dry wood borers and termites. The wood seasons slowly, with a high risk of checking or distortion; once dry it is poorly stable in service. It has a high blunting effect, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct. The wood is used for purposes such as construction (including in contact with fresh water), heavy flooring, turnery, railway sleepers, exterior panelling and joinery, utensils, sliced veneer etc[, ].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed -

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