Common Name:

General Information

Piptadenia gonoacantha is a slightly spiny, semideciduous tree with an open, ellipsoid crown; it can grow 10 - 20 metres tall. The bole can be 30 - 40cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use of its wood, which is said to be one of the best tree fuels in Brazil. A fast growing pioneer species, it is an excellent choice in reforestation programmes.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Paraguay, southern, eastern and northeastern Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia.

Habitat

Atlantic rainforest, most commonly along the coastal plain, favouring open and secondary growth areas, growing in both rich and poor soils[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[]. Succeeds in a range of soils, including poor ones[].
A fast-growing plant, easily reaching a height of 5 metres within 2 years from seed[].
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

Agroforestry Uses:

A fast-growing, pioneer species that has a fairly open crown and also fixes atmospheric nitrogen, it is a good choice as a pioneer species for restoring native woodlands and also for establishing woodland gardens[].

Other Uses

The wood is thick-textured; irregular-grained; moderately heavy; hard to cut, but soft to work with; medium resistance to the attacks of wood-eating organisms. It is used for indoor finishing, furniture frames, door panels, toys and packing cases[].
One of the best woods in Brazil for use as fuel and for making charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. A very high germination rate can be expected from fresh seed, with the seed sprouting within 5 - 10 days[]. When the seedbed-sown seedlings are 4 - 6cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out 3 - 4 months later[].
The seeds have a very short viability in storage[].

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