Dialium guineense Velvet Tamarind Dialium guineense Velvet Tamarind Ecology and biology
© E. EWÉDJÈ
© E. EWÉDJÈ
Velvet tamarind grows best on well-drained iron-rich acidic soils within a temperature range of 25 to 32°C and an annual rainfall of 900-3000 mm.
Young branches used for fishing
Flowering
Socio-economic value
© E. EWÉDJÈ
tamarind plants growing in Nigeria have been shown to possess both antimutagenic and molluscicidal activities. Bundles of stems of velvet tamarind collected from pruning mature trees and cutting saplings are ‘planted’ in fish ponds in the south of Benin to provide food and shelter for the fish. Known as ’acadjas’, they increase the yield of fish raised in the ponds. Velvet tamarind wood is hard, heavy and finetextured, and is used for flooring and other local construction. It is also a high-quality fuel and is used for making charcoal. Fruiting
Reproductive biology Velvet tamarind is a source of substantial income to the population in rural and suburban zones in Benin, Nigeria and Togo. The fruits are traded locally and across borders.
Flowers are hermaphroditic, i.e. both male and female, and are pollinated by both wind and insects, including flies, bees, wasps and butterflies.
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