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Useful Tropical Plants

Podocarpus matudae

Lundell

Podocarpaceae

+ Synonyms

Podocarpus reichei J.Buchholz & N.E.Gray

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Podocarpus matudae is a large evergreen tree[
329
Title
The Gymnosperm Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.conifers.org/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms.
]. The bole can sometimes exceed 150cm in diameter[
1191
Title
Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 29
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Boston, Mass.
Year
1948
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal with various articles, including a revision of the genus Podocarpus. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for commercial use of its wood.
This species is very widespread, but occurs in scattered (severely fragmented) localities and 11-12 subpopulations. As an occasional to common tree in the right type of forest, it does not form extensive stands. There is no doubt that the species is declining, mainly due to habitat loss. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

329
Title
The Gymnosperm Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.conifers.org/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms.
,
1191
Title
Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 29
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Boston, Mass.
Year
1948
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal with various articles, including a revision of the genus Podocarpus. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

C. America - El Salvador, Guatemala, southern and central Mexico

Habitat

Cloud forests; at elevations from 1,250 - 2,370 metres[
1191
Title
Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 29
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University; Boston, Mass.
Year
1948
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal with various articles, including a revision of the genus Podocarpus. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. Mixed pine forest, pine-oak forest, montane rain forest, and evergreen cloud forest, often in ravines near streams; at elevations from 800 - 2,370 metres[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusVulnerable
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height20.00 m
PollinatorsWind
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Based on data from 70 collection localities, Podocarpus matudae grows in a region where the mean annual temperature is 18.8°c, with an average minimum in the coldest month of 8.6°c, and a mean annual precipitation of 1520mm[
329
Title
The Gymnosperm Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.conifers.org/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms.
]. Precipitation is high, with annual rainfall of 1,500 - 3,000mm and frequent fog at high elevations[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. The plant can withstand moderate frosts, tolerating occasional, short-lived temperatures falling to between -6.6°c and -1.1°c[
329
Title
The Gymnosperm Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.conifers.org/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms.
].

Podocarpus matudae is slow growing and can only be harvested sustainably at very long rotations, while successful regeneration requires a forest habitat with a mixture of other trees (microclimate) as well as the animal vector for its dispersal. It is therefore not suitable for plantation forestry[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
In warm temperate to subtropical countries it would be a suitable amenity tree for streets and parks. It is occasionally seen in cultivation, mainly restricted to arboreta and other living plant collections, and in the western USA usually under its synonym Podocarpus reichei[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Species in this genus are generally slow-growing[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
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

The wood of this tree is fine grained, yellow, and of high quality for building and construction purposes[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

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[
316
Title
Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607.
Publication
 
Author
Chudnoff. Martin.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin.
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
].

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[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. 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[
78
Title
Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
Publication
 
Author
Sheat. W. G.
Publisher
MacMillan and Co
Year
1948
ISBN
-
Description
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Podocarpus+matudae>

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