Hymenolobium heterocarpum
Ducke
gbif· cc-by
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Description
A tropical tree in the Fabaceae family native to tropical regions.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
The seeds are edible.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant.
Where It Grows
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, South America, Venezuela,
Cultivation
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.
Other Uses
Most, if not all, members of this genus produce a heavy timber often used in construction. We do not have a specific description for the wood of this species, but a general description for the genus is as follows:- The heartwood is a yellow-brown, becoming pinkish-brown upon exposure, fairly important waxen patches are more or less frequent; it is not clearly demarcated from the 3 - 5cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is coarse; the grain interlocked. The wood is moderately heavy to heavy; moderately hard to hard; elastic; somewhat durable, being moderately resistant to fungi but susceptible to dry wood borers and termites. It seasons fairly quickly with only a slight risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is poorly to moderately stable in service. The wood works well with ordinary tools, though there are possible difficulties if the waxen patches are numerous; the waxen patches remain visible after machining; a careful sanding must be done to obtain a good finish; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring, there is a tendency to end checks when nailing; gluing is correct. The wood is used in construction, joinery, panelling, industrial flooring, stairs, heavy carpentry, furniture components etc.
References (2)
- Kew Plants of the World On line
- Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 134
