Bannia, Banya
Swartzia bannia
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
Swartzia bannia is a shrub or tree commonly found in Northern South America. Its bole has no buttress and can be branchless for up to 10 m. It has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria that form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. It is not edible but its bark can be boiled with water as relief from diarrhea. The wood is of high quality - in fact known as one of the most dense and strongest wood. It is highly resistant to termites attack and shock.
Swartzia bannia is an evergreen Tree growing to 12 m (39ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 12
Where it is found
Savannah forests and dry sand savannahs. Savannah and dry evergreen formations and high forests.
Northern S. America - French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Guyana; Suriname
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 2
The bark is boiled with water and then drunk as a treatment for diarrhoea.
Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.
Other
Rating: 4
Other Uses: The heartwood is deep purple-brown, almost black; it is sharply demarcated from the yellow to light yellow-buff sapwood which is less than 25mm wide. The texture is very fine; moderately lustrous; grain interlocked, producing a prominent striped figure. The wood is one of the densest and strongest known. It has outstanding hardness, compression parallel to the grain and shearing characteristics. It is difficult to saw and hard to work because of its extremely high density; very smooth surfaces are obtainable in sawing or planing; it bores cleanly and turns well; takes a high polish; pre-boring is essential for nailing and screwing. Very resistant to termites but liable to marine borer attack. Wearing characteristics are excellent it is highly resistant to shock.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
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.
Propagating it: Seed -
Best place to grow:
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Fine dust developed by machining operations may cause irritation to nose, throat and eyes.