''Qualea dichotoma'', also known as jacaré, is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

indigenous to central and eastern

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. It is a common

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

, used in landscaping, street planting, and gardens.Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. M.M. Grandtner, Julien Chevrette

Uses

''Qualea dichotoma'' is used prominently as decoration in Brazil, as either a garden element or as a part of landscaping. It is also used as a replenisher for low-nutrient soils. Qualea dichotoma has wood with low durability and low hardness, but is still used in constructions of low-quality tables, chairs, ceilings, and floors.

Habitat

''Qualea dichotoma'' is native to Brazil, and can be found in

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

s, but is more commonly found in dry, sunny areas with sparse vegetation, such as

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

s.Brazilian Trees. Volume 1, Fourth Edition. Lorenzi H.

Description

''Qualea dichotoma'' is a deciduous tree that can grow in height. The tree grows in diameter, and has a thick, corky

bark Bark may refer to: Common meanings * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Arts and entertainment * ''Bark'' (Jefferson Airplane album), ...

. The plant grows well in sunny areas with poor or sandy

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

where water drains quickly. The leaves are

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe * Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd * Vates or ovate, a term for ancient Celtic bards ...

, and are arranged opposite on the stem, and the flowers are small and range from white to violet. The

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s are a light brown and the seed capsule splits into two.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15335836 dichotoma