Common Name:

General Information

Podocarpus costaricensis is an evergreen tree that can grow around 30 metres tall.
There are conflicting reports about the use of this species for its wood, with one saying the wood is not used and another saying that the tree is heavily exploited[].
Podocarpus costraicensis is only known from fewer than 10 herbarium collections, gathered at four localities. There is a continuing decline and severe fragmentation of this species inferred from the ongoing intense exploitation, deforestation and habitat disturbance. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Central America - Costa Rica

Habitat

Very humid, lowland and lower montane tropical rainforest; at elevations from 70 - 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Species in this genus are generally slow-growing[].
A dioecious species; both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Farjon (2010) reports that no economic uses are known of this species and it is not in cultivation. However, Estrada Chavarría et al. (2005) indicate that it is heavily exploited, this is presumably for its timber[].

We do not have a specific description for the wood, but the following is a general desciption of Podocarpus wood in the Americas:-
The heartwood is pale yellow to yellowish brown; it is not distinct from the sapwood. The texture is fine and uniform without conspicuous zones of latewood; somewhat lustrous; the grain is usually straight but may be slightly interlocked; odour or taste are absent or not distinctive in seasoned wood. The heartwood from trees grown in Belize is reported to be moderately durable with ground contact under tropical exposure. Durability of other species from elsewhere are reported as low. The wood air-seasons rapidly with little or no warping or checking. Movement in service is rated as small. It works easily with hand and power tools; nails easily; and takes stain, varnish, and paint satisfactorily. The wood is used for joinery, millwork, furniture components, boxes and crates, general construction, veneer and plywood, pulp and paper, pattern making[].

Propagation

The seed can be sown at any time of the year in a sandy soil, though it is probably best sown as soon as it is ripe[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out.
Cuttings of half-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, in a frame[].

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