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Useful Tropical Plants

Podocarpus purdieanus

Hook.

Podocarpaceae

+ Synonyms

Nageia purdieana (Hook.) F.Muell.

Podocarpus jamaicensis J.Nelson

Podocarpus mucronata Carrière

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Podocarpus purdieanus is an evergreen tree with a spreading crown; it can grow up to 40 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 100cm in diameter[
1191
Title
Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 29
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Boston, Mass.
Year
1948
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal with various articles, including a revision of the genus Podocarpus. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for commercial use of its wood.
All the locations where Podocarpus purdieanus is found are severely fragmented as a result of a historical decline due to logging and the conversion of land for agricultural purposes. Present day threats such as mining, illegal logging and deforestation associated with the conversion of forests for agriculture and grazing are causing a continuing decline in the area of occupancy and quality of habitat. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
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

1191
Title
Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 29
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Boston, Mass.
Year
1948
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal with various articles, including a revision of the genus Podocarpus. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

Caribbean - Jamaica

Habitat

Wet limestone forests at elevations from 350 - 870 metres[
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.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusEndangered
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height30.00 m
PollinatorsWind
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



Species in this genus are generally slow-growing[
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.
].
A dioecious species; both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Historically, the timber was highly valued, especially for building shipmasts; at one stage the wood had a higher value than that of mahogany. Saplings are used for yam sticks[
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.
].

We do not have a specific description for the wood, but the following is a general desciption of Podocarpus wood in the Americas:-
The heartwood is pale yellow to yellowish brown; it is not distinct from the sapwood. The texture is fine and uniform without conspicuous zones of latewood; somewhat lustrous; the grain is usually straight but may be slightly interlocked; odour or taste are absent or not distinctive in seasoned wood. The heartwood from trees grown in Belize is reported to be moderately durable with ground contact under tropical exposure. Durability of other species from elsewhere are reported as low. The wood air-seasons rapidly with little or no warping or checking. Movement in service is rated as small. It works easily with hand and power tools; nails easily; and takes stain, varnish, and paint satisfactorily. The wood is used for joinery, millwork, furniture components, boxes and crates, general construction, veneer and plywood, pulp and paper, pattern making[
316
Title
Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607.
Publication
 
Author
Chudnoff. Martin.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin.
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
].

Propagation

The seed can be sown at any time of the year in a sandy soil, though it is probably best sown as soon as it is ripe[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out.
Cuttings of half-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, in a frame[
78
Title
Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
Publication
 
Author
Sheat. W. G.
Publisher
MacMillan and Co
Year
1948
ISBN
-
Description
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-05-13. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Podocarpus+purdieanus>

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