Common Name:

General Information

Platypodium elegans is a semideciduous tree with a more or less globose crown; it can grow 8 - 12 metres tall in Brazil, up to 25 metres in Panama. The usually straight bole can be 40 - 50cm in diameter in Brazil, but up to 120cm and unbranched for 15 metres in Panama[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. An ornamental tree, it is suitable for landscaping, especially tree planting[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama.

Habitat

An occasional plant in higher areas of the Atlantic rainforest, it is more commonly found in savannah and the transition zone into forest, favouring more open places and well-drained soils[]. Forests in Panama[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Prefers a sunny position[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Plants are quite slow growing.
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 heartwood is greenish-yellow; the thin band of sapwood is a light greenish-yellow. The wood is rather fine-grained with a green pea-like odour. It is moderately heavy; hard, but with loose tissue; very tough; moderately durable under cover. It takes a good polish. It is used for cabinet making, carpentry, internal works, tool handles etc[, , ].
The wood is not used to any extent, because the mature trunks are almost always found to be hollow and filled with an oily liquid. It is said that such trees often burst with a loud report under the pressure of the liquid[].

Propagation

Seed - seedlings are sensitive to root disturbance so it is best to sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in individual containers. A germination rate of above 50% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 15 - 25 days[]. The seedlings develop quite slowly and they should be ready to plant out 8 - 9 months later[].
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 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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