Common Name:

General Information

Cordia platythyrsa is a tree often growing more than 30 metres tall. The bole is unbuttressed according to [], but has buttresses according to []. It is cylindrical and up to 90cm in diameter, although it is rarely straight, changing direction at each persistent whorl when young resulting in an irregular bole in old trees[, ]. It can be unbranched for up to 12 metres, though it is often low-branching[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its good quality timber which is used locally and also exported. The plant is used locally as a medicine; it is often planted as a village shade-tree, especially in Cote D'Ivoire; and is sometimes grown as a hedge[].
Exploitation is moderate and the current threatened status of the species should be kept under review. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(1998)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Guinea to Cameroon and the Congo.

Habitat

Dense primary rainforest as well as in secondary formations[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

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

The plant is used as a depurative[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is sometimes grown as a hedge[].

Other Uses

The bark can be stripped from the trunk in large pieces and is used to make hut-walls and partitions. It is said that removal of the bark can be effected without damage to the cambium layer of the tree[].

The heartwood is pale, golden brown to medium brown occasionally with a pinkish tint; the 4 - 6cm wide band of sapwood is white but liable to turn green when cut with iron or steel implements. The texture is medium to coarse; the grain straight or more typically interlocked; when unseasoned, the wood is aromatic. The wood is light in weight; soft to very soft; moderately durable, resisting both fungal and insect-attack. It seasons rapidly with only a slight risk of checking or distortion; once dry it is stable in service. It works well with both hand and machine tools and is easy to finish; in planing there is some tearing of interlocked grain; it nails satisfactorily; glues correct; and takes a good polish. Old logs may have a pulpy or brittle heart. The wood is valuaed for high-class furniture, being seen as a possible substitute for some grades of mahogany. It is used traditionally to make drums, canoes, ornamental seats and domestic articles. In Cameroon the wood is used for the keys of locally made xylophones[, , ].

Propagation

Seed -

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