All species formerly considered to belong to the genus Sclerolobium have been moved to Tachigali in line with the treatment by Henk van der Werff in 'A Synopsis of the Genus Tachigali (Leguminosae; Caesalpinioideae) in Northern South America', Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 95, pp 618 - 660, 2008.

Common Name:

General Information

Tachigali aurea is a deciduous tree with a sparse, globose crown; it can grow 5 - 11 metres tall. The crooked bole is more or less cylindrical, around 20 - 30cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of tannins and wood. Ornamental when in bloom, the tree can be used in landscaping[].

Known Hazards

The sawdust from members of this genus is generally highly irritating[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Paraguay, central and eastern Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela.

Habitat

Savannah and woodland savannah, growing in both primary and secondary formations, favouring well-drained soils on gentle slopes[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	8.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a sunny position[]. Succeeds in sandy to clayey soils[]. Prefers a well-drained soil[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
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

The bark is rich in tannins and has medicinal properties[].

Other Uses

The bark is a source of tannins[].

The wood has a disagreeable smell. It is medium-textured, straight-grained, moderately heavy, hard, with very good mechanical properties and durable. It is used locally to make rustic furniture, but its main uses are externally for purposes such as railway sleepers, posts, stakes, bridges etc[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

The trees of many members of this genus yield a wood suitable for light construction, known in the trade as 'tachi'[]. We do not have any more specific information for the wood of this species, but a general description of tachi wood is as follows:-
The wood is light brown; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 6cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or slightly interlocked. The wood is light to moderately heavy; soft to moderately hard; not very durable in one report[], durable in another[]. It seasons at a nornal rate with only a slight risk of distortion, but a high risk of checking; once dry it is poorly stable in service. It is fairly easy to work, but sawn surfaces can be somewhat fuzzy - stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring. The wood is used for purposes such as interior panelling and joinery, furniture components, light carpentry, crates and boxes[, , ].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and benefits from scarification before sowing 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. Sow the treated seed in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate of less than 50% can be expected even from treated seed, with the seed sprouting within 20 - 35 days[].

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