If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Temperate Plants

Lysiloma candidum

Brandegee

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Common Name: Palo Blanco

No Image.

General Information

Lysiloma candidum is a spiny shrub or a small tree (often multi-stemmed) that usually grows around 3 - 6 metres tall, but can reach up to 7.5 metres. The stems can be 15 - 30cm in diameter[
411
Title
Trees and Shrubs of Mexico
Publication
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol 23
Author
Standley P.C.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution; Washington
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
Although dated, it contains a wealth of information on the trees and shrubs of Mexico, including many of their uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
1565
Title
Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.medicinatradicionalmexicana.unam.mx/index.php
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very valuable on-line resource with detailed information on many hundreds of medicinal plants used in Mexico
,
1985
Title
Contributions from the U.S. National Herbarium Vol. 16
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Government Printing Office; Washingtom
Year
1912-1916
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal with various articles on plant systematics.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials. The plant was formerly harvested on a large scale for the tannins contained in the bark which were extracted and exported[
411
Title
Trees and Shrubs of Mexico
Publication
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol 23
Author
Standley P.C.
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution; Washington
Year
1926
ISBN
 
Description
Although dated, it contains a wealth of information on the trees and shrubs of Mexico, including many of their uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Southwest N. America - northwest Mexico (Baja California Sur, Sonora)

Habitat

Tropical deciduous forest, xerophilous scrub and oak forest; at elevations from 10 - 1,500 metres[
1565
Title
Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.medicinatradicionalmexicana.unam.mx/index.php
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very valuable on-line resource with detailed information on many hundreds of medicinal plants used in Mexico
]. Dry washes in canyon bottoms in the north of its range, rocky hill slopes in the south.

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitTree
Height5.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Lysiloma candidum is a plant of low to medium elevations in the semi-arid and arid regions of sub-tropical northwest Mexico.
Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Lysiloma species are generally adaptable to a range of soils[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is an astringent due to its content of tannins and is used externally to heal wounds. To this end the shell (in Spanish la cáscara) is roasted in a griddle and once toasted is ground into a powder that is applied to the affected part. Alternatively the bark can be boiled and the liquid used to wash the wound before applying the powder[
1565
Title
Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.medicinatradicionalmexicana.unam.mx/index.php
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very valuable on-line resource with detailed information on many hundreds of medicinal plants used in Mexico
].
This treatment is mainly done to wounds caused by burns[
1565
Title
Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.medicinatradicionalmexicana.unam.mx/index.php
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very valuable on-line resource with detailed information on many hundreds of medicinal plants used in Mexico
].
The bark and branches are used to aid oral health. They are chewed and their astringent action helps to tighten the gums and prevent loose teeth[
1565
Title
Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.medicinatradicionalmexicana.unam.mx/index.php
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very valuable on-line resource with detailed information on many hundreds of medicinal plants used in Mexico
].

The plant is also used to heal sores and pimples with pus[
1565
Title
Biblioteca Digital de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.medicinatradicionalmexicana.unam.mx/index.php
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very valuable on-line resource with detailed information on many hundreds of medicinal plants used in Mexico
].

Other Uses

The bark is a rich source of tannins and has, in the past, been gathered in large quantities for the commercial extraction of tannins[
963
Title
Contributions from the U. S. National Herbarium Vol. 05
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
Washington Government Printing Office; Washington
Year
1897 - 1901
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal with a range of articles. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
1453
Title
Notes on Useful Plants of Mexico
Publication
Contributions from the U.S. National Herbarium, Vol 5, No 4 pp 209-259, 1899
Author
Rose J.N.
Publisher
 
Year
1899
ISBN
 
Description
Brief notes on some of the useful plants of Mexico for food, medicine and various commodities
,
1985
Title
Contributions from the U.S. National Herbarium Vol. 16
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
Government Printing Office; Washingtom
Year
1912-1916
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal with various articles on plant systematics.
].

We have no specific information for this species, but a general description of Lysiloma wood is as follows;-
The lustrous brown heartwood has a coppery or purplish tinge, sometimes faintly striped; it is sharply demarcated from the thin layer of white sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight to roey; it is without distinctive odour or taste. The heartwood is rated as highly durable. The wood is reported to air-season slowly; kiln-dried boards were prone to surface and end checking. The wood is considered to be easy to work, it finishes smoothly, and takes a high natural polish. It is used for general construction, furniture making, wheel wright work, parquet flooring, interior trim, bobbins and shuttles, veneer, and knife handles[
316
Title
Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607.
Publication
 
Author
Chudnoff. Martin.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin.
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-12-10. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Lysiloma+candidum>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.