Machaerium acutifolium
StarMachaerium acutifolium
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Brazilian folk medicine, decoctions and macerations of the bark and leaves of jacaranda-do-cerrado are used to treat painful menstruation, stomach complaints and inflammatory conditions, and the plant has a reputation as a contraceptive (Useful Tropical Plants, 2024). A mannose-specific lectin isolated from the seeds has shown anti-inflammatory activity in experimental models (Pereira-Junior et al., 2020).
Botanical Description
Machaerium acutifolium is a deciduous tree of the legume family (Fabaceae), reaching about 4 to 10 metres tall, characteristic of the Brazilian cerrado and also occurring in seasonally dry forest from the Amazon basin south through Mato Grosso do Sul, Bahia, Piaui, Maranhao and Sao Paulo states. The trunk is often crooked with corky, fissured bark, and young branches frequently bear paired, recurved spines derived from modified stipules. The leaves are alternate and imparipinnate, with numerous small, oblong to lanceolate leaflets that are softly hairy beneath. Showy, fragrant, papilionaceous flowers are borne in branched panicles and are typically violet to purple, appearing when the tree is partly or wholly leafless. The fruit is a flat, one-seeded samara with a broad terminal wing that aids wind dispersal, a feature shared across the genus Machaerium. It grows on well-drained, often nutrient-poor soils of open savanna and woodland margins.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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