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Piliostigma malabaricum
Fabaceae FAMILY

Piliostigma malabaricum

Piliostigma malabaricum

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthFast

Mountain ebony is found at altitudes from sea level up to 600 metres, usually in reasonably moist areas of the tropics[1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 3,000 mm[1]. Prefers a fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil and a position in full sun[2]. Established plants are drought resistant[1]. A fire-resistant species, resprouting freely from the base of the trunk if the top of the plant is burnt[1]. The flowers are a source of pollen and nectar for insect pollinators[1]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required[1]. 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[2].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak in hot water for 2 - 3 minutes and then soak it in cold water for 24 hours before sowing. The seed can be sown in situ, but, especially when growing small quantities, sowing in containers in a nursery is more appropriate. The seed should be sown no deeper than 1 cm and in full sunlight to allow for optimal germination. Germination takes 55 - 123 days[1]. The germination rate for seeds stored for 2 weeks is about 45%, but this drops to about 25% in 3 months of storage[1]. Seedlings are fast growing, average height and diameter after one month of growth can reach 33 cm and 0.5 cm, whilst 4 month old plants 76 cm tall with a stem diameter of 1.1 cm have been recorded[1]. Cuttings. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Piliostigma+malabaricum>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎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.
  4. [4]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  5. [5]The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. — Burkil. H. M. · Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. · 1985 - 2004 ↩︎Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/