Fabaceae FAMILY

Libidibia coriaria

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Libidibia coriaria is a shrub or a small tree with a rounded, spreading crown; it usually grows up to 10 metres tall, but can be much taller[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The bole is short and seldom straight; it can be up to 35cm in diameter[ 551 Title A Century of Trees of Panama. Publication Author Pittier H. Mell C.D. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A work that was very difficult to get published according to the correspondence contained at the start!. A treatment of 100 different species with descriptions and details of uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. The tree is especially prone to wind-training in exposed areas, giving rise to increasingly picturesque specimens with flat-topped crowns and leaning trunks[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. Divi-divi has been used in Central America for many centuries as a tanning material and its cultivation spread to several other countries, particularly India, before it fell out of favour in the 1950's[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. It is grown as an ornamental in many parts of the tropics and is sometimes still cultivated for its tannins[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama to southern Mexico; Caribbean.

HabitatSemi-arid, open country[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Seasonal and coastal forests[ 307 Title Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. Publication Author Barwick. M. Publisher Thames & Hudson, London Year 2004 ISBN 0-500-51181-0 Description A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life. ]. Dry plains and hillsides at elevations of 900 metres or less[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].