Afrocarpus gracilior has been treated as a synonym of the south African species Afrocarpus falcatus by some botanists. However, these species are not only geographically separated but also distinct in several, albeit minor, morphological characters. They are maintained as separate species here following Farjon, A. 2010. A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.

Common Name:

General Information

Afrocarpus gracilior is an evergreen tree with a broad, domed crown developing in mature trees; it grows up to 40 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 250cm in diameter[].
An important timber tree in eastern Africa, where the timber is exported as well as used locally.
Afrocarpus gracilior has a wide distribution in northeast and east Africa and is common in many places. Deforestation, rather than selective logging, appears to be the major threat to this species, but its very wide distribution and commonality make it unlikely to be threatened with extinction. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern tropical Africa - Ethiopia, Sudan, DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania

Habitat

A co-dominant tree in montane evergreen rainforest; at elevations from 1,500 - 2,600 metres[[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Within the range of Afrocarpus gracilior, the mean annual temperature is 16.8°c, with an average minimum in the coldest month of 8.7°c, and a mean annual precipitation of 1148mm. The plant can withstand light frosts when dormant, tolerating occasional temperatures falling to between -1°c and +4.4°c[].
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[].
This species has been introduced from Ethiopia as a forestry plantation tree into other countries, including India, where trial plantations at Dehra Dun were begun in the early years of the twentieth century[].
In northern Ethiopia it is also often planted in church compounds to provide shade and shelter for the congregation[]. It is a moderately common ornamental in southern California, and perhaps in other warm areas[].
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 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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