Myrocarpus frondosus
Fabaceae FAMILY Data Deficient

Myrocarpus frondosus

Myrocarpus frondosus

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Tree
GrowthMedium

A plant of the subtropics to the tropics, being found in areas of seasonal rainfall and also all year rainfall, at elevations from near sea level to over 1,500 metres. Requires a sunny position[1]. Plants have a moderately fast rate of growth, able to reach a height of around 2.5 metres within 2 years from seed[1]. There are conflicting reports on whether or not this tree has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, so it is unclear as to whether this tree fixes atmospheric nitrogen[2].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. A germination rate in excess of 75% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 10 - 15 days[1]. The seed has a short viability of less than 3 months in storage[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Myrocarpus+frondosus>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [1]Brazilian Trees. Volume 1. 4th Edition. — Lorenzi. H. · Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. · 2002 · ISBN 85-86714-17-8 ↩︎Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
  2. [2]Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy — United States Department of Agriculture · http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en ↩︎An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
  3. [3]Flore Forestiere Du Globe — Chnacerel L. · Gauthier-Villars et Co.; Paris. · 1920 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Written in French, a very detailed work on the timbers of the world. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  4. [4]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  5. [5]Contribution to an evaluation of tree species using the new CITES Listing Criteria — UNEP-WCMC; Cambridge. · 1999 · http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/species/tree_study/ ↩︎A document produced by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre in 1999. It contains fact sheets on more than 200 tree species from around the globe.
  6. [6]Medicinal Plants of Brazil — Mors W.B.; Rizzini C.T.; Pereira N.A. · Reference Publications; Michigan. · 2000 · ISBN 0-917256-42-5 ↩︎An extremely concise book, listing approximately 1,500 species and varieties of plants with their botanical name, common name in Brazil, regions in Brazil where the plant is found, a brief list of uses and any medically active compounds in the plant.
  7. [7]Indicador de Madeiras e Plantas Uteis do Brasil. — Fonseca E. T. De · Officinas graphicas Villas-Boas & Co.; Rio de Janeiro · 1922 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Brief details of some of the uses of Brazilian plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.