Common Name:

General Information

Swartzia grandifolia is a tree that can gro up to 18 metres[]. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 40 - 60cm in diameter.
The tree is commonly harvested from the wild for its high quality and attractive wood, known as 'Coraçao de Negro', which used locally and also exported[].

Known Hazards

The sawdust from wood of plants in this genus can be irritating to mill workers[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas.

Habitat

Rain forests[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	15.00 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[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is a deep, dark brown with lighter, thin streaks; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 8cm wide band of light yellow sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or slightly interlocked. The wood is very heavy; very hard; very strong; very elastic; very durable, being very resistant to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons slowly, with a high risk of checking but only a slight risk of distortion; once dry it is poorly to moderately stable in service. It is a very hard wood and has a fairly high blunting effect - stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is poor. A high quality, very strong, durable and attractive timber, its use is limited mainly by the small size of heartwood obtained from the logs. It is used for purposes such as high class furniture, cabinet making, musical instruments of various types, turnery, sculpture, flooring, panelling, wooded goods, items such as arches that require forming; veneer etc[].

Propagation

Seed -

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