Common Name:

General Information

Mollia lepidota is an evergreen tree with a large, more or less open, rounded crown; it can grow 6 - 12 metres tall. The slightly crooked bole can be 20 - 30cm in diameter[].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its wood. It is an excellent pioneer plant for infertile, sandy soils, where it can increase soil fertility and make it suitable for the growth of forest trees. An ornamental plant, it can be used in landscaping[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela.

Habitat

Open scrubland in the Amazon, usually growing on wet, white sandy soils in areas subject to seasonal inundation[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	9.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a sunny position[]. Tolerant of wet soils and seasonal inundation[]. Grows wild on white sandy soils[].
Young trees have a fast rate of growth, easily exceeding a height of 2 metres within 2 years from seed[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is found in the wild in the Amazon in areas of poor, low vegetation and poor, white sandy soils. It is a part of the successional process, enriching the soil as the area gradually becomes more fertile, thus enabling the tree cover to gradually increase until the forest is restored. It can, therefore, be used as a pioneer plant, especially in such poor soils, for restoring native woodland[, ].

Other Uses

The wood is medium-textured, straight-grained, moderately heavy, easy to cut, with moderate mechanical properties and a low resistance to wood-eating organisms. It is used for furniture frames, moldings, boxes, curved pieces etc[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A low germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed sprouting within 40 - 60 days[].

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