Tachigali rubiginosa

Tachigali rubiginosa is a tree in the bean family, Fabaceae. Its home is central and eastern Brazil in South America. Its older names include Sclerolobium rubiginosum. It grows in savannah and wooded savannah. It also grows in forests where trees shed some leaves. These sites include well-drained ground above 2,625 feet [800 metres]. Kew places it in the wet tropical biome. The sources cover wild trees and their local uses.

The tree grows about 16–33 feet [5–10 metres] tall. Its round crown can cast fairly dense shade. The trunk often bends but keeps a tube-like shape. Its width reaches about 1–1.6 feet [0.3–0.5 metres]. The tree sheds some leaves and does not stay fully evergreen. It grows fast, with young trees making quick gains. Bees pollinate the flowers, but the sources give no bloom season. They give no further facts on flowers, fruit, bark, or leaf shape.

When grown, this tree does best in full sun. It needs soil that lets excess water drain away. Trees can cope with drought once their roots take hold. Plants For A Future lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12. The sources give no soil pH range. They give no lower limit for winter cold. Reports differ on whether roots work with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These are microbes that can take nitrogen from the air. Do not assume this tree adds nitrogen to the soil.

Its fast growth helps bring back native woods. It acts as a pioneer tree on open, sunny sites. People cut wild trees for wood and fuel. The wood is hard, heavy, strong, and resists decay. Local people use it for carpentry, posts, and stakes. They also make railway sleepers from it. The wood serves as fuelwood and makes charcoal. Both give off a high heat output. These uses explain its reported value, rather than food crops.

Growing trees from seed can be hard. The seed has a hard coat. Scarification means scuffing or cutting that coat. This and soaking may help water reach the seed. The source says to sow treated seed in a sunny nursery bed. Seeds may take 28–35 days to sprout. Few may sprout even after treatment. The evidence gives no known food uses or uses as medicine. The source reports no known hazards. This does not mean the tree is safe. The evidence names no pests or diseases that affect this species.