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Useful Tropical Plants

Ormosia paraensis

Ducke

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Ormosia crassicarpa Pittier

Ormosia heterophylla Pires

Common Name:

Ormosia paraensis
Tree growing in native habitat
Photograph by: Reinaldo Aguilar
Creative Commons License
Ormosia paraensis Ormosia paraensis Ormosia paraensis Ormosia paraensis

General Information

Ormosia paraensis is an evergreen tree that can grow around 40 metres tall[
749
Title
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Vol. 32
Publication
 
Author
Rudd V.E.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington.
Year
1968
ISBN
 
Description
Monographs of several species in the family Fabaceae, including the Ormosia that occur in the Americas. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
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[
864
Title
Botanical Museum Leaflets Vol 21
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Botanical Museum; Cambridge, Massachusetts
Year
1963 - 1967
ISBN
 
Description
A series of botanical articles. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Botanical References

749
Title
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Vol. 32
Publication
 
Author
Rudd V.E.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington.
Year
1968
ISBN
 
Description
Monographs of several species in the family Fabaceae, including the Ormosia that occur in the Americas. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas.

Habitat

Rainforests, in areas not subject to seasonal inundation, growing on both sandy and clay soils; at elevations up to 800 metres[
749
Title
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Vol. 32
Publication
 
Author
Rudd V.E.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution Press; Washington.
Year
1968
ISBN
 
Description
Monographs of several species in the family Fabaceae, including the Ormosia that occur in the Americas. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Properties

Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height35.00 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



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[
755
Title
Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

We have seen no specific reports for this species, but the brightly coloured seeds of various members of this genus are so commonly used as beads that the various species are often called necklace trees[
520
Title
Botanical Beads
Publication
 
Author
Smith R.J.
Website
http://www.botanicalbeads.com/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A website looking at seeds that are used for ornament. It is based on a book that the author had written.
].

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[
848
Title
Tropix 7
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://tropix.cirad.fr/en
Publisher
CIRAD
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line guide to the timbers of 245 species of trees.
].

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[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ormosia+paraensis>

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