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Summary
Swartzia bannia is a shrub or tree commonly found in Northern South America. Its bole has no buttress and can be branchless for up to 10 m. It has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria that form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. It is not edible but its bark can be boiled with water as relief from diarrhea. The wood is of high quality - in fact known as one of the most dense and strongest wood. It is highly resistant to termites attack and shock.
Physical Characteristics
Swartzia bannia is an evergreen Tree growing to 12 m (39ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
It can fix Nitrogen.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Habitats
Edible Uses
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antidiarrhoeal
The bark is boiled with water and then drunk as a treatment for diarrhoea[348 ].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
Wood
Other Uses: The heartwood is deep purple-brown, almost black; it is sharply demarcated from the yellow to light yellow-buff sapwood which is less than 25mm wide. The texture is very fine; moderately lustrous; grain interlocked, producing a prominent striped figure[341 ]. The wood is one of the densest and strongest known. It has outstanding hardness, compression parallel to the grain and shearing characteristics. It is difficult to saw and hard to work because of its extremely high density; very smooth surfaces are obtainable in sawing or planing; it bores cleanly and turns well; takes a high polish; pre-boring is essential for nailing and screwing. Very resistant to termites but liable to marine borer attack. Wearing characteristics are excellent it is highly resistant to shock[341 ].
Special Uses
Nitrogen Fixer
References More on Other Uses
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 ].
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
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Propagation
Seed -
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Native Plant Search
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Found In
Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available
Guyana; Suriname
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
Expert comment
Author
Sandwith
Botanical References
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
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Subject : Swartzia bannia
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