Common Name:

General Information

Handroanthus heptaphyllus is a deciduous tree with a sparse, globose crown; it can grow 10 - 30 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 40 - 140cm in diameter with a thick bark[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its useful timber and for local use as a medicine. A tree in full bloom is an unforgettable sight, making this species very popular as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, southern, central and eastern Brazil, Bolivia.

Habitat

Rainforests, usually in primary formations but sometimes also found in more open and secondary formations[]. It favours humid soils near rivers and on floodplains[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a sunny position, though young plants are more tolerant of shade[].
Newly planted young trees usually grow away fairly quickly, reaching a height of around 3 metres after 2 years[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is astringent, mucilaginous[]. A decoction is said to heal syphilitic ulcers[].

The leaves are used in the treatment of syphilitic ulcers and gonorrhoea[].

The heartwood contains the compound lapachol, which has been used in the treatment of cancer[].

Extracts of the plant have been shown to have antiinflammatory activity[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is brown; it is demarcated from the yellowish-white sapwood[]. The wood is heavy and of high natural durability under any conditions[, ]. Even or reverse-grained, it has good mechanical properties, but is very hard to cut[]. It is used for outdoor work, making items such as keels, poles, fencing posts, beams for bridges and railway sleepers; as well as for heavy construction, parquet flooring, walking sticks etc[].

Most species of Handroanthus, almost certainly including this one, produce a very hard, heavy and durable timber known as Ipe. The general description of Ipe wood is as follows:-
The heartwood is yellowish brown to dark olive brown, sometimes with thin veins; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 9cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is usually fine, though it is medium in some species; the grain is interlocked; there are canals in the wood containing a greenish-yellow deposit of lapachol. The wood is very heavy; very hard; elastic; it is very durable, even in contact with the soil, resisting fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons slowly, but with only a low risk of checking or distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. The wood has a fairly high blunting effect - stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; there can be some difficulties due to the interlocked grain; filling is recommended in order to get a good finish; nailing and screwing are good , but require pre-boring; gluing is correct for internal use only, and needs to be done with care because the wood is so dense. A very durable and strong wood, it has a very wide range of uses, especially for outdoor applications. It is used for making high class furniture, cabinet work, heavy construction, railway sleepers, bridges, hydraulic works, industrial flooring, posts and poles, turnery, musical instruments, tool handles, veneer etc[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a very short viability and so is best sown as soon as ripe in a semi-shaded position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers[, , ]. The germination rate from fresh seed is usually high, occurring in 10 - 12 days. Prick out the seedlings into individual containers when they are 2 - 4cm tall. The young plants grow away quickly and are usually ready to plant out in less than 4 months.
Air layering.
Cuttings of half ripe wood.

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