Afrocarpus gracilior (Pilg.) C.N.Page, native to eastern Africa, has been considered by some botanists to be conspecific with Afrocarpus falcatus in South Africa, but these species are not only geographically separated but also distinct in several, albeit minor, morphological characters and are maintained as separate species here following Farjon, A. 2010. A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.

Common Name: Bastard Yellowwood

General Information

Afrocarpus falcatus is an evergreen tree with a slender crown that can have a light or crowded branching system; it usually grows 10 - 45 metres tall but with some specimens to 60 metres[, , ]. The straight, cylindrical bole, which can be branchless for up to 25 metres, can be 200cm or more in diameter[].
The wood is particularly valued for ship building and is commonly harvested from the wild for export. The tree also has a number of local uses for food, medicine, wood and fuel[]. It is occasionally cultivated for these purposes[], and is also planted as ornamental and roadside tree, and as a container plant and Christmas tree[].
The tree is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2010)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern and southern Africa - Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, S. Africa.

Habitat

Forests in the mountains at elevations of 1,500 - 2,400 metres, occasionally to 3,000 metres[]. Characteristic of undifferentiated Afromontane forest, it can also be found in rainforest and descends to moist coastal forest in the subtropics[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	40.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A tree of higher elevations in the tropics, descending to sea level in the subtropics. It is found in the tropics at elevations from 1,550 - 3,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 13 - 20°c, but can tolerate 8 - 35°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -2°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,200 - 1,800mm, but tolerates 800 - 2,200mm[].
Succeeds in sun or light shade, young plants tolerating fairly deep shade[]. Prefers a well-drained, deep, humus-rich and light-textured soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[, ]. Plants cannot tolerate drought[].
When transplanting the seedling into the open ground, care must be taken not to damage the taproot, as it will result in a long period, sometimes up to a year, during which the tree will show no growth[].
A fast growing species, with a mean annual increment of up to 1 metre for the first 15 years; the growth rate is higher under natural conditions in higher rainfall areas and can be very fast under garden conditions[].
Trees can commence fruiting when they are about 10 years old from seed[]. It can take about 12 months for the seed to develop and it can then hang on the tree for a considerable time[]. There is typically heavy seeding at intervals of 2 - 4 years[].
On good sites trees should be large enough for harvesting for their wood 40 - 50 years after planting[].
Trees live for a long time - perhaps 600 years[].
A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit is edible, but resinous[, ].

Edible oil has been extracted from the seeds of the closely related Afrocarpus gracilior in Ethiopia[].

Medicinal

The bark and seeds are used in traditional medicine[].

Bark decoctions or infusions are used as anodyne, also to treat diarrhoea and stomach-ache[, ].
A bark decoction is also applied to itching rash[].

Pulverized seeds are applied to treat tuberculoid meningitis and sunburn[].

In Ethiopia the seed oil is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[, ].

The sap is used as a remedy for chest complaints[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is very useful for soil protection against water erosion[].
It is also planted to provide shade, shelter and as a windbreak[].

Other Uses

The bark has been used for tanning, although it only contains 3 - 6% tannin[].

The leaves contain podolide, which is a main ingredient for an insecticide[, ].

The heartwood is pale yellow to pale yellowish brown, and not distinctly demarcated from the sapwood. The grain is straight, occasionally spirally, texture fine and even[]. The wood is moderately lightweight; easy to saw and work, both by machine and hand tools, with little dulling effects on cutting edges; it can be planed to a smooth finish; the wood has a tendency to split upon nailing, and pre-boring is recommended; the gluing, painting, varnishing and staining properties are moderately good. The wood is not durable, being susceptible to blue stain, powder-post beetle, pinhole borer, longhorn beetle, termite and marine borer attacks. The wood is highly valued for ship building, but it is also used for poles, panelling, furniture, boxes, veneer and plywood. It is suitable for construction, flooring, joinery, interior trim, mine props, vehicle bodies, railway sleepers, toys, novelties, agricultural implements, musical instruments, food containers, vats, turnery, hardboard and particle board[].
The wood is a good fuel[, ].

Propagation

Seed - remains viable for several years in normal storage.
The seed has two types of dormancy; a chemical, which is overcome by removing the fleshy layer and a mechanical, imposed by the hard seedcoat. To ensure a high and even germination the seedcoat must be broken and removed. This can be done in a vice but it is very time-consuming. Freshly collected seeds will normally germinate well, up to 60% in nine weeks, even with seedcoat but once the seeds have been dried, germination can take more than six months unless the seedcoat is removed. Some reports say that soaking in saturated salt water just before sowing can improve germination. Others recommend stratification between two layers of compost for 3 - 5 days in order to weaken the seedcoat[]. The seeds are sown directly in nursery bags or in seedbeds in a mixture of compost and sand (1:1). The seed must be pushed into the mixture and covered with a fine layer of soil. The mixture must never be allowed to dry out[].
Cuttings taken from end shoots (as opposed to cuttings from lateral branches and shoots) in order to produce plants with upright growth[].

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