white-tamarind
Senegalia polyphylla (DC.) Britton & Rose
Senegalia polyphylla, commonly known as white-tamarind, is a tree species belonging to the Fabaceae family. It is widely distributed across several regions in South America, including Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, and Colombia, as well as in Central American countries like Belize. This species is characterized by its bipinnate leaves, aculeate branches, and axillary glomerule inflorescences. The fruit is a legume, and the seeds are oblong with a brown coat. It is often found in tropical dry forests and conservation units, particularly in semi-arid regions.
Description
Senegalia polyphylla is a tree with glabrescent, aculeate branches. The nectaries are petiolar and sessile. Stipules are lateral and narrow-triangular. The leaves are bipinnate and paripinnate, with 8–16 leaflets, which are opposite and oblong in shape. The venation is actinodromous, and there is no translucent punctuation. The inflorescences are glomerulate and axillary. The flowers are sessile, actinomorphic, and polistemonous. The calyx is gamosepalous with five sepals, and the corolla is gamopetalous, tubular, and whitish with five petals. The androecium is dialystaminous and homodinamous, with longitudinal anthers. The ovary is superior, stipitate, and pluriovulate. The fruit is a sessile, linear legume with a plane-corrugate surface, straight margin, glabrous epicarp, and brown coloration. The seeds are oblong, plane, with a brown coat and a basal hilum.
Habitat
Senegalia polyphylla is typically found in tropical dry forests and semi-arid regions. It occurs in conservation units such as the Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park and the Sierra de la Macarena National Park in Colombia. It is also present in the Bosque Seco Tropical del Caribe Colombiano, as well as in various other protected areas across South America. The species is adapted to a wide range of elevations, from 206 to 259 meters above sea level, and thrives in diverse ecosystems, including savannas and dry forests.
Cultivation
Senegalia polyphylla is not commonly cultivated for commercial purposes but is occasionally found in conservation and reforestation projects due to its ecological value. It prefers well-drained soils and is adapted to semi-arid and tropical environments. The species can tolerate a range of soil types and is often used in restoration efforts in degraded areas. Its growth is relatively slow, and it benefits from full sun exposure. Propagation is typically through seeds, which should be sown in a nursery before transplanting to the field.
Uses
The species is primarily of ecological and conservation interest. It contributes to biodiversity in tropical and semi-arid ecosystems and is sometimes used in reforestation projects. Locally, it is known as 'angico branco' and may have traditional uses by indigenous communities, although specific ethnobotanical applications are not widely documented. Its wood is not commonly used for commercial purposes, but it may serve as fuelwood or for minor construction in local settings.
Other common names
white-tamarind
Distribution
Atlántico: Finca El Palomar · BR · Santuario de Flora y Fauna Los Colorados | Parque Nacional Natural Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta | Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona | Parque Nacional Natural Sierra de la Macarena | Parque Nacional Natural Sumapaz · Núcleo CI Tequendama · Aratoca | Barichara | Barrancabermeja | Capitanejo | Cepitá | Cimitarra | Enciso | Piedecuesta | San José de Miranda | Villanueva · Parque Nacional Natural Tinigua · Amazonas, Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Cundinamarca, La Guajira, Guaviare, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Norte de Santander, Santander, Sucre, Tolima · Departamentos del Caquetá y Guaviare: Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de Chiribiquete · Global · Municipio de Barrancas, Cerrejón Cerro La Potrosa, Bosque Seco Tropical del caribe colombiano, lat: 11° 05' 5.1'' N, long: 72° 33' 57.8'' W, 206-259 m · Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de Chiribiquete (PNNSCh) · Argentina Northeast · Belize · Bolivia · Brazil Northeast · Brazil North · Brazil Southeast · Brazil South · Brazil West-Central · Colombia · Costa Rica · Ecuador · El Salvador · Guatemala · Guyana · Honduras · Mexico Gulf · Mexico Southeast · Mexico Southwest · Panamá
Synonyms
Acacia glomerosaAcacia polyphyllaSenegalia glomerosaSenegalia langlasseiMimosa polyphyllaSenegalia lobanaSenegalia tomentellaAcacia fluviatilisAcacia amambayensisLeucaena bolivianaAcacia langlasseiAcacia glomerosa var. parvifloraAcacia riparia
