Common Name:

General Information

Terminalia oblonga is a usually evergreen tree with a dense, globose crown; it can grow 20 - 45 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for about half its height, 50 - 150cm in diameter, with buttresses at the base[, , , ]. Trees inhabiting nearly dry zones lose their foliage for a short while[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is used locally and also traded.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana; C. America - Panama to southern Mexico.

Habitat

A canopy and emergent tree in humid sub-montane and flood plains forests in Bolivia[, ]. It grows in well-drained alluvial soils of lowlands and coastal plains[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	33.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the humid tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 500 metres. It grows in areas where the annual temperature range is 24 to 35°c, and the mean annual rainfall varies from 1,500 - 3,500mm, either with or without a clearly defined dry season[].
Found in the wild in well-drained alluvial soils of lowlands and coastal plains[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is a light yellow to yellow brown, sometimes with reddish veins; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 8cm wide band of pale yellow sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain is straight; lustre is high to very high; there is no distinctive taste or aroma when seasoned. The wood is heavy to very heavy; hard to very hard; elastic; moderately durable, being resistant to dry wood borers and moderately resistant to fungi and termites. It seasons slowly with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable to stable in service. It has a fairly high blunting effect, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; finishing is good; nailing and screwing are good if the holes are pre-bored; gluing is poor. A good quality wood, it is used for high quality furniture, cabinet making, arched goods, turnery, industrial flooring, ship building, joinery, tool handles, moulding, veneer etc[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow in a moderately shaded position in a nursery seedbed. Germination takes 50 - 60 days. Plant into individual containers as soon as the seedlings are large enought to handle and they should be ready to plant out 8 - 12 months later[].

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