Common Name:

General Information

Cornus volkensii is an evergreen tree with a spreading crown; usually growing up to 20 metres tall, but sometimes to 30 metres. The bole is usually straight and cylindrical and can be up to 100cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It is sometimes used in reforestation programmes and is also used to provide shade and as a roadside tree[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, eastern DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique.

Habitat

Mountain forests, where it can become a dominant canopy tree, often growing along the edges of streams, at elevations from 1,200 - 3,000 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	18.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moderate to higher elevations in the tropics, where it grows naturally at elevations from 1,200 - 3,000 metres[].
The tree can succeed in fairly moist, somewhat swampy soils[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves are applied as a poultice to boils[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree can regenerate naturally in intensively grazed areas. It is planted in reforestation programmes and as roadside tree[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is yellowish white to pale reddish brown, occasionally with greyish streaks; it is indistinctly demarcated from the narrow band of sapwood. The grain is straight; texture medium, even. The wood is medium-weight; it is not durable and is susceptible to attacks by blue stain fungi, termites, Lyctus borers and marine borers. It saws and works well with both hand and machine tools; nailing, screwing and gluing properties are satisfactory. The wood is used for utensils and handles of implements. It is suitable for light construction, light flooring, joinery, interior trim, ship building, furniture, cabinet work, toys, novelties, boxes, crates, turnery, veneer and plywood[, ].
The wood is used for fuel[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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