Cordia megalantha
S.F.Blake
Boraginaceae
Cordia macrantha S.F.Blake
Gerascanthus megalanthus (S.F.Blake) Borhidi
Common Name:
General Information
Cordia megalantha is a briefly deciduous tree usually growing 30 - 40 metres tall, but exceptionally to 60 metres[
333- Title
- Tree Species of Panama
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
,
485- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol 75
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Boston.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains, amongst other things, an article on the flora of Tanzania, a treatment of the genus Xyris and one for the Panamanian Boraginaceae. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood. Because of its large size and good quality wood, it has potential for cultivation, especially in wet regions[
485- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol 75
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Boston.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains, amongst other things, an article on the flora of Tanzania, a treatment of the genus Xyris and one for the Panamanian Boraginaceae. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Cordia megalantha has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
485- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol 75
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Boston.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains, amongst other things, an article on the flora of Tanzania, a treatment of the genus Xyris and one for the Panamanian Boraginaceae. It can be downloaded from the internet.
,
1903- Title
- A Revision of Cordia Section Gerascanthus (Boraginales; Cordiaceae)
- Publication
- J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 7(1); 55 - 83. 2013
- Author
- Miller J.S.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2013
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
Range
C. America - Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala to southern Mexico.
Habitat
Wet forests near the coast, at elevations from sea level to 400 metres[
485- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol 75
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Boston.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains, amongst other things, an article on the flora of Tanzania, a treatment of the genus Xyris and one for the Panamanian Boraginaceae. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Tree |
| Height | 30.00 m |
| Pollinators | Bees, Butterflies |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
The tree does not flower every year[
485- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol 75
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Boston.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains, amongst other things, an article on the flora of Tanzania, a treatment of the genus Xyris and one for the Panamanian Boraginaceae. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Edible Uses
The brown, ellipsoid fruit is 8 - 12mm long, 4 - 6mm wide, it consists of a thin layer of flesh around a large seed[
485- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol 75
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Boston.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains, amongst other things, an article on the flora of Tanzania, a treatment of the genus Xyris and one for the Panamanian Boraginaceae. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
The fruits of most Cordia species are comprised of a thin to fairly thick layer of pulpy, sweetish-tasting flesh surrounding a single seed and are more or less edible[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
422- Title
- Fruits of the Guianan Flora
- Publication
-
- Author
- van Roosmalen. M.G.M.
- Publisher
- Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 90-9000988-4
- Description
- Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
]. (though some are known to cause gastric disturbances). This species, however, belongs to a section of the genus where the mesocarp is fibrous rather than fleshy[
1903- Title
- A Revision of Cordia Section Gerascanthus (Boraginales; Cordiaceae)
- Publication
- J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 7(1); 55 - 83. 2013
- Author
- Miller J.S.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2013
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The good quality wood is very similar to that of Cordia alliodora. It is used to manufacture joinery, turnery, cabinets, furniture and plywood[
333- Title
- Tree Species of Panama
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
,
485- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Vol 75
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Boston.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains, amongst other things, an article on the flora of Tanzania, a treatment of the genus Xyris and one for the Panamanian Boraginaceae. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
The wood of most species in this genus is hard and, where the plants grow large enough, the wood is often harvested at least locally for use in construction etc and also for making charcoal[
1902- Title
- Two new species of Cordia L. (Boraginaceae) from Madagascar
- Publication
- Adansonia series 3, 23(2), 289-295, 2001
- Author
- Miller J.S.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2001
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
Propagation
Seed -
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
