There has been considerable confusion by botanists over this species, Quassia undulata and Quassia gabonensis, with all three at one time being treated as one species (as Quassia undulata). More recent research ('Two new names in West-Central African Quassia L. [Simaroubaceae]'; Martin Cheek & Carel C. H, Jongkind, Kew Bulletin Vol. 63 247-250 []) has concluded that these species are distinct, and this is the treatment that is followed here[].

Common Name:

General Information

Quassia silvestris is an evergreen tree usually growing 5 - 45 metres tall, though sometimes it is a shrub no more than 2 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 100cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood. It is occasionally grown as a timber crop - successful plantations have been established in Sierra Leone[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Senegal to Kenya, south to southern Angola, Zambia and Tanzania.

Habitat

Semi-deciduous moist forest, evergreen forest (mushitu); forest gallery; rain-forest; secondary forests, farmbush; fringing forest of savannah; open forest with Gaertnera paniculata; mountain bush; at elevations from 50 - 1,630 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A fast-growing plant[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is whitish to straw-coloured; it is not distinct from the sapwood. The texture is coarse; the grain irregular. The wood is not durable, being vulnerable to attack by decay fungi, stain, and termites; logs should be converted soon after felling or chemically treated to minimize degrade. It dries rapidly with little checking but warp is severe. It springs and splits severely during log conversion; dried stock saws, planes, and nails easily; it is easy to peel into veneers. The wood is usd for purposes such as boxes and crates, veneer, plywood, pulpwood and particleboard[].

Propagation

Seed -

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