Saraca dives

Pierre

Vang-anh

Fabaceae Edible: Medicine 200 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Saraca dives, is a tree species in genus Saraca belonging to the family Fabaceae, native to China, Laos, and Vietnam.

Description

A tree. It grows to 7-20 m tall. The trunk is 25 cm across. The leaves have 5 or 6 pairs of leaflets. They hang down. They are oval and 15-35 cm long by 5-12 cm wide. The flowers are yellow but do not have petals. The fruit or pod is on 4 cm long stalks. The pod is 22-30 cm long by 5-7 cm wide. The valves are twisted. There are 5-9 seeds.

Medicinal Uses

Used in traditional medicine.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows naturally by riversides and is also cultivated. It grows between 200-1,000 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Asia, China, Indochina, Laos, SE Asia, Vietnam,

Cultivation

Succeeds in full sun and in moderate shade. Requires a moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Although many species within the family Fabaceae have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, this species is said to be devoid of such a relationship and therefore does not fix atmospheric nitrogen.

Propagation

Seed - if the seed is harvested when ripe and sown immediately, preferably after soaking in water for 12 hours, it will germinate within 3 weeks and will be ready to plant out within 6 - 12 months. Air layering.