Common Name:

General Information

Diplotropis incexis is an evergreen tree with an open, pyramidal crown; it can grow 12 - 30 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 50 - 70cm in diameter with a thick bark[].
The tree yields an attractive wood and so is often harvested from the wild. It can be grown as a pioneer species for restoring native woodland and also for establishing woodland gardens.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - eastern Brazil.

Habitat

Atlantic rainforest and coastal forest, usually in the more open and secondary growth areas[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in full sun to fairly dense, dappled shade[]. Tolerant of a range of soil types and moisture levels[].
Young plants have a moderate rate of growth[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Succeeding in full sun, the tree tolerates a wide range of conditions, has a moderately fast rate of growth, has an open crown and also fixes atmospheric nitrogen; it is a useful species for reforestation projects to restore native woodland and can also be used as a pioneer when establishing a woodland garden[, ].

Other Uses

The wood is coarse-textured, irregular to spiral-grained, hard, difficult to cut, resistant to the attacks of insects. An attractive and distinctive wood, it can be used for making furniture, veneer, ornaments, lathe work, door and window frames, parquet flooring and construction[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A low germination rate can be expected from untreated seed, with the seed sprouting within a few weeks[].

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