Common Name:

General Information

Cordia millenii is a tree with a fine, spreading crown; it can grow up to 20 metres tall[]. The cylindrical bole is often irregularly bent, it can be free of branches for up to 10 metres and up to 100cm in diameter[]. Old trees often have stout but low buttresses[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of timber, which is highly valued[]. The wood is also widely harvested for export. The tree is commonly planted, especially in W. Africa, in towns and villages as a shade-tree[].
Large-scale exploitation, as well as declines in the extent of the habitat, is occurring throughout its range. Although widespread and regenerating well after disturbance, it is becoming less common in the eastern parts of its range[]. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(1998)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, south to Angola, DR Congo and Tanzania.

Habitat

Rainforests, being found in both dense primary formations and secondary formations at elevations up to 1,650 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland humid tropics.
Requires a sunny position[]. Prefers a well-drained soil[].
A fast-growing tree[].
Plants can be coppiced and pollarded[].

Edible Uses

Although we have seen no specific information for this species, 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[, ], (though some are known to cause gastric disturbances).

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaves is taken for the treatment of asthma, colds, coughs, etc., and the leaves are also dried and smoked for these afflictions[]. A leaf decoction is also taken to dispel worms[].

The pulverized seeds, mixed with palm-oil, are used for ridding the body of ringworm, itch and other epidermal troubles[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The trees are often left when land is cleared in order to provide shade in Eucalyptus and coffee plantations[].
The tree has been used in reforestation projects[].

Other Uses

The fruits are added to soap to give it a pleasant smell[].

Large pieces of bark are stripped from the bole to make hut-walls and partitions[].

The heartwood is pale golden brown to medium brown, occasionally with a pinkish tint; the sap-wood is white[, ]. The texture is coarse; the grain typically interlocked to give a stripe figure[]. The wood is fairly light in weight and soft, but durable and resistant to termites[]. It works well with both hand and machine tools; is easy to finish though in planing there is some tearing of interlocked grain; it nails satisfactorily. The wood is said to be very suitable for furniture, cabinet-making, joinery, interior trim, panelling etc[, , ]. Traditionally, it is often used for making drums, gongs and small bells; and is one of the trees used for the Asante 'talking drums'[]. The timber is split into shingles, which are recorded as lasting four years, and it is made into bowls and other domestic articles[]. The trunks are hollowed out for dugout canoes being adzed quite easily, and because of its lightness the canoes are unsinkable[]. The wood also has sufficient strength to be the keel-piece of larger boats[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - very slow to germinate, the process can be sped up if the seed is scarified by lightly abrading the seedcoat to allow easier ingress of water[]. Scarification can significantly increase the germination from a usual rate of 20 - 77% up to almost 100%[]. Germination of the scarified seed takes 10 - 32 days[].

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