Swartzia bannia
Sandwith
Fabaceae
Common Name:
General Information
Swartzia bannia is a shrub when growing in dry sand savannahs, developing into a large tree when growing in savannah forest[
422- Title
- Fruits of the Guianan Flora
- Publication
-
- Author
- van Roosmalen. M.G.M.
- Publisher
- Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 90-9000988-4
- Description
- Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
]. The unbuttressed bole is deeply fluted, it can be unbranched for 6 - 10 metres[
341- Title
- South American Timbers: the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 190 Species.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bolza. E. & Christensen. F.J.
- Publisher
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
- Year
- 1979
- ISBN
- 0 643 02582 0
- Description
- A very useful guide.
].
The wood is one of the densest and strongest known. It is harvested from the wild for local use and for export.
Known Hazards
Fine dust developed by machining operations may cause irritation to nose, throat and eyes[
341- Title
- South American Timbers: the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 190 Species.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bolza. E. & Christensen. F.J.
- Publisher
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
- Year
- 1979
- ISBN
- 0 643 02582 0
- Description
- A very useful guide.
].
Botanical References
422- Title
- Fruits of the Guianan Flora
- Publication
-
- Author
- van Roosmalen. M.G.M.
- Publisher
- Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 90-9000988-4
- Description
- Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
Range
Northern S. America - French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana.
Habitat
Savannah forests and dry sand savannahs[
422- Title
- Fruits of the Guianan Flora
- Publication
-
- Author
- van Roosmalen. M.G.M.
- Publisher
- Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 90-9000988-4
- Description
- Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
]. Savannah and dry evergreen formations and high forests[
341- Title
- South American Timbers: the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 190 Species.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bolza. E. & Christensen. F.J.
- Publisher
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
- Year
- 1979
- ISBN
- 0 643 02582 0
- Description
- A very useful guide.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 0.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
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
The bark is boiled with water and then drunk as a treatment for diarrhoea[
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
Other Uses
The heartwood is deep purple-brown, almost black; it is sharply demarcated from the yellow to light yellow-buff sapwood which is less than 25mm wide. The texture is very fine; moderately lustrous; grain interlocked, producing a prominent striped figure[
341- Title
- South American Timbers: the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 190 Species.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bolza. E. & Christensen. F.J.
- Publisher
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
- Year
- 1979
- ISBN
- 0 643 02582 0
- Description
- A very useful guide.
]. The wood is one of the densest and strongest known. It has outstanding hardness, compression parallel to the grain and shearing characteristics. It is difficult to saw and hard to work because of its extremely high density; very smooth surfaces are obtainable in sawing or planing; it bores cleanly and turns well; takes a high polish; pre-boring is essential for nailing and screwing. Very resistant to termites but liable to marine borer attack. Wearing characteristics are excellent it is highly resistant to shock[
341- Title
- South American Timbers: the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 190 Species.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bolza. E. & Christensen. F.J.
- Publisher
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
- Year
- 1979
- ISBN
- 0 643 02582 0
- Description
- A very useful guide.
].
Propagation
Seed -
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
