Common Name:

General Information

Strychnos pseudoquina is an evergreen tree with an elongate, dense crown; it can grow 4 - 9 metres tall. The cylindrical bole is usually crooked, around 20 - 35cm in diameter with a very thick and fractured bark[].
An ornamental small tree with sweetly-scented flowers, it has been recommended for landscaping[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - central, eastern and northern Brazil.

Habitat

Primary and secondary open woodlands on savannahs, also as an isolated tree in pastures, often on gentle slopes and well drained soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	7.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[]. Prefers a well-drained soil[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Freshly planted young trees are usually slow to establish and grow away[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, , ]. A sweet, fleshy pulp[, ]. The fruit is a globose berry about 2cm in diameter[].

Medicinal

All parts of the plant, except the fruit, are extremely bitter and rather astringent[]. Considered by some to be the best febrifuge growing in Brazil, the bark is widely used as a treatment for malaria and fevers in general[].

The bark is bitter, depurative, febrifuge and tonic[]. It is used in the treatment of splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, intermittent fever, malaria and gastric problems[]. It is also used to rid the body of intestinal worms, including Ascaris (roundworm), Oxyuris (threadworm) and Taenia (tapeworm)[].

The plant contains alkaloids and a number of methoxylated flavonoids such as isorhametine, strychnobiflavone, quinol, diaboline and 11-methoxydiabolin[].

Other Uses

The wood is moderately heavy, somewhat durable, of medium texture, medium resistance, hard to cut[]. The wood is usually only found in small dimensions, but is sometimes used for making light furniture, for lathe work, window frames and ornamental objects[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers[]. Germination rates are normally low, with the seed sprouting within 3 - 4 weeks[].

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