Common Name:

General Information

Dialium guianense is an evergreen tree with a pyramidal crown; it can grow 15 - 30 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole has narrow buttresses up to 1.8 metres tall, it can be free of branches for up to 18 metres and 50 - 90cm in diameter[, ]. The tree has large prop roots[].
One of the most abundant and useful timber trees of central America, it is commonly harvested from the wild[]. The tree is also sometimes harvested from the wild for its edible fruit, which is sold in local markets and consumed locally[].

Known Hazards

Sawdust from the wood may cause coughing and skin irritation to sawmill workers[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; Central America - Panama to southern Mexico.

Habitat

Dense, wet mixed forest at elevations up to 350 metres[]. Dense evergreen forests on well-drained clay soils, at the edge of virgin forests or in secondary formations on sandy soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a sunny position[]. Established trees are drought tolerant[].
The fruit is produced in such abundance that it often covers the ground beneath the trees[].
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

Fruit - raw[]. The fibrous pulp surrounding the seeds is said to be edible[]. The seedpod is obovoid to almost globose, 15 - 30mm long, containing a thick and fibrous pulp surrounding the 1cm long seeds[].

Medicinal

The bark is used for medicinal purposes[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is uniform brown or reddish brown, deepening in colour upon exposure; it is not clearly demarcated from the thick, almost white or yellowish sapwood. The texture is rather fine; the grain somewhat interwoven; lustre medium to bright; odour and taste none or at least not distinctive. The wood is very hard; very heavy (it does not float in water); very tough; strong; durable and resistant to termites and probably also to marine borers due to its silica content. Because of its hardness, it is not easy to work with machine and hand tools; pre-boring is necessary for nails and screws; it finishes smoothly[, , ]. It is used for fence posts, bridge timbers, railroad ties, house construction, cart wheels, piling, and other purposes. It is too hard and has not enough figure to make it suitable for furniture[, , , ].

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 semi-shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate in excess of 50% can be expected, with scarified seeds sprouting within 15 - 20 days[]. When they are 5 - 6cm tall, pot the seedlings up into individual containers. They are ready to plant out when about 30 - 40cm tall[].

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