Common Name:

General Information

Dinizia excelsa is a semideciduous tree with an open crown; it can grow 50 - 60 metres tall. The bole can be 100 - 180cm in diameter. There is often a big pile of shredded bark around the base of the tree[].
One of the largest trees in the rainforest, it is harvested from the wild for its very strong and durable timber, which is used locally and also traded. A majestic, extremely ornamental tree, it can be used for planting in public places such as large squares and parks[].
The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Guyana.

Habitat

A canopy and emergent tree in dense rainforest, favouring clay soils in areas not subject to periodic inundation[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	50.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Young plants require the shade of the forest, but grow up into the light and can tolerate sunny positions as they grow older[]. Found in clay soils in the wild[].
Plants have a moderate rate of growth[].
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

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is red-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the 5 - 10cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is medium to coarse; the grain straight or interlocked; green wood and rewetted wood have an unpleasant aroma. The wood is very heavy; hard; very durable, even in contact with the soil, being resisant to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It is somewhat slow to season, with only a slight risk of checking or distortion, once dry it is moderately stable to poorly stable in service. It is hard to cut, with a fairly high blunting effect upon tools, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct for interior use only and needs to be done with care because of the denseness of the wood. The wood has a wide range of uses, being widely employed especially for outdoor purposes such as railway sleepers, bridges, heavy carpentry, poles, posts, stakes, struts etc; as well as in construction for purposes such as beams, rafters, laths, parquet floors, flooring boards, window frames etc[, ].

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 a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. A germination rate in excess of 30% can be expected (more if the seed is scarified), with the seed sprouting within 20 - 40 days[].
The seed has a viability of less than 4 months in storage[].

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