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Useful Tropical Plants

Tachigali melinonii

(Harms) Zarucchi & Herend.

Fabaceae


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.

+ Synonyms

Sclerolobium melinonii Harms

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Tachigali melinonii is a tree that can grow up to 36 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for up to 24 metres and up to 70cm in diameter with flat, broad buttresses[
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.
,
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 tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, and for local use as a medicine.

Known Hazards

Dust from machining operations is extremely irritating to the nose and throat[
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


Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Peru, Surinam, French Guiana.

Habitat

Rain forest, in areas not subject to seasonal inundation; on the edges of creek swamps; also in savannah 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.
,
907
Title
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 95
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden; St. Louis.
Year
2008
ISBN
0026-6493
Description
A botanical publication, it contains an article on the genus Tachigali. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitTree
Height29.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

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

Water from the stem is used as a wash for children with fever[
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
].

An infusion of the rasped bark is used as a wash for treating cramps[
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 a uniform pale buff to dark yellowish-brown, sometimes with a pinkish or olive hue; it is demarcated from the 25 - 75 cm wide band of paler sapwood. The texture is medium to coarse ; the grain straight to interlocked, producing stripes on longitudinal surfaces; the lustre is high and satiny; growth rings are distinct due to wide bands of latewood. The wood is resistant to termite and marine borer attacks. It seasons rapidly with moderate warping, slight checking and case-hardening; once dry it is stable in service. Decreasing the rate of drying tends to minimize seasoning defects. The wood is fairly easy to work; sawn surfaces are somewhat woolly but finish smoothly unless the material is severely interlocked; it takes nails readily without splitting; bores easily with a smooth cut. It is used as raftwood[
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 makes an excellent charcoal[
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 -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-08. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Tachigali+melinonii>

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