Common Name:

General Information

Peltophorum dasyrhachis is a usually deciduous tree with an open, diffuse crown; it can grow up to 30 metres tall. The straight bole can be 50 - 90cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials. It is cultivated in many tropical regions, where it is used in reforestation and as a shade tree in coffee and cacao plantations[]. It is also often grown as an ornamental and hedge plant, being valued especially for its shape and beautiful yellow flowers[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam.

Habitat

Secondary, deciduous or evergreen forest, usually occupying the upper storey of secondary forest, and large openings in the forest or at forest margins. Usually found mixed with other broad-leaved species in evergreen broad-leaved forest[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics, where it is usually found at elevations from sea level up to 1,000 metres[]. It grows best in areas with a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 2,500mm and a dry season of 1 - 3 months, with a mean annual temperature of 20 - 25°c and the average temperature of the coldest month is not lower than 15°c[].
Young plants are shade tolerant but the plant requires a sunny position as it grows larger[, ]. In the wild, the tree grows on many reddish yellow feralit soils on mica schist, gneiss, reddish basalt, sedimentary soil.[]. Due to its relatively deep rooting system, established plants are drought tolerant[].
The tree has a fairly thick bark and is hairy, helping it to be fairly tolerant of fire[]. The seed germinates in abundance after a bush fire[].
The trees can be pruned quite severely and usually resprout abundantly[].
The root system comprises a well-developed taproot and a few superficial lateral roots[].
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

The bark is used in an infusion to treat coughs[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is a natural pioneer species, quickly invading open areas in the forests and abandoned agricultural land[].
Its use in the reclamation of Imperata cylindrica grasslands is being tested; in Indonesia and Malaysia, young trees planted in tall Imperata grassland and left untended after planting remained alive, but grew slowly[].
Due to a fairly high content of polyphenolic substances, decomposition of the leaf litter is slow, allowing a humus layer to build up in the soil[]. This slow rate of decomposition reduces soil erosion and also contributes to the suppression of weeds[]. Seeds of Imperata cylindrica hardly germinate in soil covered by the leaves[].
The tree has been used as a shade tree, mainly in coffee plantations[]. It is sometimes maintained after bush fallow as a shade tree for fruit trees and for its role in soil improvement[].
When unpruned, it provides a rather dense shade to control weeds during fallow periods, and can be managed in hedges without too much shading of inter-row crops[]. Because its growth rate is slower than that of Leucaena leucocephala and Gliricidia sepium, it requires less frequent pruning[].
Plants can be pruned to form a dense hedge[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is red-yellow to brownish; it is distinctly demarcated from the white-grey sapwood. The wood is heavy, brittle, rather durable though attacked by termites and boring insects[]. Another report says that it is termite resistent[]. It is used locally for planks in house-building, but is of little market value[]. The wood is utilized for the production of furniture, boards, posts, and wood pavement as well as in the building of houses and vehicles[].
The wood is used for fuel[, ].

Propagation

Seed - it can store for at least 2 years with little loss of viability. The seed will benefit from presoaking in warm water prior to sowing[].
Cuttings.

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