Common Name:

General Information

Dimorphandra gardneriana is a small tree with a wide, low, dense crown; it can grow 4 - 18 metres tall[, ]. The short bole can be 30 - 40cm in diameter[].
The bark is commonly used in Brazil to treat wounds and various skin problems. The bark is also a source of tannins, dyestuff and ink.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Bolivia, central, eastern and northern Brazil.

Habitat

Gallery forests in semiarid areas and grasslands of the savannah[]. Characteristic of secondary formations, where it can sometimes occur in large numbers[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[].
Newly planted young trees can be quite slow to establish and grow away[].
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

The fruits contain the flavonoid 'rutin'. Rutin is widely used to produce medicines for human circulatory diseases and is extracted on a commercial basis in Brazil[].

The bark has the same medicinal uses as Stryphnodendron adstringens[]. These are as follows:-

The bark is strongly astringent, haemostatic, styptic and vulnerary due to the presence of tannins[, , ]. It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery; haemorrhages of the uterus[].
Applied externally, the bark is used to treat wounds, ulcers and various skin problems[].
One of the trees many common names, Virgin's Bark, derives from the use made of it by prostitutes[].

The seedpods are equally rich in tannin and have similar uses[].

The leaves are tonic[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

Although slow growing, the tree is a pioneer species in its native environment and has been recommended for reforestation projects[].

Other Uses

The wood is straight to irregular-grained; coarse-textured, heavy, with a good resistance to rot; easy to cut[]. It is suitable for simple furniture, veneer, plywood, panels and boards[].

The following uses for Stryphnodendron adstringens also apply to this species[].

The bark and seedpods contain a high percentage of tannins[]. There is up to 25% tannin in the bark[].

A red dye is obtained from the bark[]. It can be used to make a red ink[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat that needs to be treated in order to allow the seed to imbibe moisture and therefore improve germination rates. This can be done in various ways - abrading or nicking the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) works well with smaller quantities of seeds, whilst soaking for a few minutes in almost boiling water and then for 12 - 24 hours in warm water is more efficient with larger numbers of seeds. Sow the seed in a semishaded position in a nursery seedbed. Germination rates, even of treated seed, can be quite low with the seed taking 60 - 80 days to sprout[].

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