This name is not universally accepted. The online 2012 'Flora do Brasil' treats it as a synonym of Lonchocarpus latifolius (Willd.) DC., whilst other treatments, including Tropicos and GRIN, treat Lonchocarpus latifolius as a synonym of Lonchocarpus heptaphyllus[].

Common Name: Amarillon

General Information

Lonchocarpus heptaphyllus is an evergreen tree with a spreading, open crown; it can grow from 5 - 20 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 20cm in diameter; free of buttresses but sometimes branched from fairly low down[, , , ]. The tree tends to be stunted, bent and twisted when growing along the coast, but is much taller, with a straight bole, when growing in woodland. Plants are sometimes briefly deciduous[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of timber and fuel. It is grown as an ornamental in Florida and Cuba[].

Known Hazards

The plant is poisonous and has been used as a fish poison[, ].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to southern Mexico; Caribbean - Trinidad to Cuba.

Habitat

A subcanopy or understorey tree is wet or very humid forests at low or medium elevations[, ]. Along the edges of floodplains of rivers and estuaries; favouring sandy and peaty soils[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny position[]. Found in the wild mainly in sandy and peaty soils[]. Plants are tolerant of salt-laden winds and of salty soils[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
A fast-growing tree when young[].
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

A decoction of the wood and leaves is rubbed onto the skin to treat rashes[].

Liquid from the cut stem is dripped onto the skin to kill parasitic botfly larvae[].

The finely grated wood is used in a preparation with water for remedying diarrhoea[].

The leaves are irritant, purgative and emetic[].

Other Uses

The plant contains rotenone, which is concentrated mainly in the root[]. Rotenone, the active ingredient in derris, can be used as an insecticide[].
The rotenone can be found in various parts of the plant, but is generally most abundant in the bark, especially of the roots. The bark can be dried and powdered for use as an insecticidal dust[].

The heartwood is reddish; the sapwood whitish. Texture is coarse, grain is irregular. The wood is hard, heavy, strong, said to be durable in some reports, but to have a low resistance to rot in others. It is easy to work. It is used for construction work, marquetry, fence posts, piling and wagons[, , , ].
The wood is used for fuel[, , ].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate of 70% or more can be expected, with the first seeds starting to sprout within a few days, whilst others may take 2 months or more[].
Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have been dried for storage the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve 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[].

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