Common Name:

General Information

Dacryodes heterotricha is an evergreen tree with a wide, spreading crown that can grow 25 metres or more tall. The bole can be 100cm in diameter with buttresses up to 1 metre high[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood. The wood is also harvested commercially and exported.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Gabon, Congo.

Habitat

Evergreen forests at elevations from 100 - 300 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit[].
The flesh of the fruits in this genus usually adheres very strongly to the seed. When placed in hot (but not boiling) water at around 60 - 85°c the fruit softens and swells and all the flesh then slides easily off the seed[, ].

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaf is taken to treat whooping cough[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is a light brown; it is not clearly demarcated from the 7 - 15cm wide band of pale pink, yellow or grey sapwood, which often extends over half the radius of the log. The grain is straight or interlocked; texture is medium; the wood is lustrous, and ribbon-like markings and small stripes give it an attractive figure. The wood is of moderate weight, moderately hard to hard; not very durable, being susceptible to attack by fungi and dry wood borers, but resistant to termites. It seasons normally, with only a slight risk of distortion but a high risk of checking; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It saws slowly and with some difficulty, with a blunting effect on tools; the use of stellite-tipped saw teeth and tungsten carbide tools is recommended; it works fairly well with hand and machine tools, but rough patches may be produced on planing; it does not split on nailing and holds nails and screws well; peeling characteristics are good, and gluing, boring and sanding properties satisfactory; the wood paints and varnishes well. It is recommended for furniture, screens, door and window frames, stairs and other light carpentry, flooring, construction, vehicle bodies, mine props, poles and piles. It is also considered suitable for ship and boat building, tool handles, agricultural implements, joinery, vats, toys, novelties, turnery, railway sleepers, veneer, core stock, hardboard and particle board[299; 848].

Propagation

Seed -

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