Common Name:

General Information

Ormosia coccinea is an evergreen or briefly deciduous tree with a large, moderately dense, rounded crown; it can grow 25 - 35 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole is 40 - 70cm in diameter and generally free of buttresses except in some large specimens[, , , , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood.

Known Hazards

The plants, but especially the seed and perhaps also the bark, of many if not all species in this genus contain alkaloids and are toxic[].
The seeds of this species are considered locally to be highly poisonous[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama..

Habitat

Rainforests, in sandy soils[]. The form Ormosia coccinea subsimplex is also found at the edges of savannahs and in restinga (coastal forest)[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Usually found in well-drained soils in the wild[].
The seedpods open whilst still on the tree. The seeds, however, often remain in the canopy for months after this, resting in the open pods until the wind or some animal dislodges them - or until the pod rots and falls to earth. Once in the moist soil, the seed germinates immediately[].
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

None known

Other Uses

The interestingly patterned and attractive seeds are used by artisans in the fabrication of decorative jewelry and other trinkets[, ].

The heartwood is yellow-brown to red-brown, with thin light brown streaks; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 15cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is coarse, grain interlocked. The wood is fairly hard to hard, moderately heavy, with good elasticity, moderately durable, and resistant to damage from fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It is slow to dry with a slight risk of checking and distortion, and is moderately stable to poorly stable in service. The wood generally is easy to work, though there are sometimes diffiulties due to the interlocked grain, surfaces are slightly fuzzy and finishing requires care. Peeling and slicing are good, it takes nails and screws well and glues correctly. It is used for furniture, flooring, joinery, heavy carpentry, panelling, veneer and turnery[].

Propagation

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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