This species is extremely close to Handroanthus capitatus, from which it cannot be reliably distinguished vegetatively[].

Common Name: Palo de Arco

General Information

Handroanthus obscurus is a deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow up to 18 metres tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and also for its timber
Handroanthus obscurus is a potential source of the commercially valuable Ipê timber, but is not known to be widely exploited. As this species is widespread, abundant and not currently known to be significantly threatened, it is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2021)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Peru, northern Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Habitat

Rainforest that is not subject to inundation, mostly occurring on poor sandy soils, also on laja, especially along rivers; at elevations from near sea level to 500 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A slow-growing species[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Various parts of the plant have been used to treat a range of ailments in traditional medicine[].

We have no further specific information for this species, but the inner bark of the various Handroanthus species has been shown to contain several pharmacologically active compounds. In particular, the bark has astringent and anti-inflammatory properties and several species are used to treat skin disorders, fungal infections, wounds etc, as well as a various inflammatory diseases, cancer etc[, ].
The bark contains the naphthoquinones lapachol and beta-lapachone. These compounds have a range of medicinal activities, including antitumor activity, but when isolated from the whole bark and used in the quantities required to treat conditions such as cancer, they have also shown unacceptable levels of toxicity towards the body.

Other Uses

The wood can be used in construction etc[].

We have no further specific information on the wood of this species, other than it is one of a group of species that produce a very hard, heavy and durable timber, known collectively as 'Ipê' and widely traded. Most Ipê wood comes from this genus (Handroanthus), though some also comes from the genera Tabebuia and Roseodendron. The general description of Ipê wood, when produced from Handroanthus species 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 lighter-coloured 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 the naphthoquinon '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. Ipê is a very durable and strong wood that 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, decking, posts and poles, turnery, musical instruments, tool handles, veneer etc[].

Propagation

Seed -

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