| ABSTRACT: Dipteryx alata Vog. is a native leguminous tree species from Cerrado, the Brazilian Savannah. It is widespread and plays an important role as key species for environmental conservation as well as for rural families to get additional income by exploiting its seeds. Its wood, which is quite durable, is used for several applications in the farm; the corky has medicinal proprieties and the endocarp is used to make charcoal. The seed and the mesocarp are edible, rich in calories and mineral nutrients. Is is considered a key species for sustaining the natural fauna, as its fruits feed birds, mammals like bats, monkeys, and rodents during the dry season, when food is scarce; bees visit its flowers too. This species is also promising for cultivation, due... |
