Common Name:

General Information

Podocarpus purdieanus is an evergreen tree with a spreading crown; it can grow up to 40 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 100cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for commercial use of its wood.
All the locations where Podocarpus purdieanus is found are severely fragmented as a result of a historical decline due to logging and the conversion of land for agricultural purposes. Present day threats such as mining, illegal logging and deforestation associated with the conversion of forests for agriculture and grazing are causing a continuing decline in the area of occupancy and quality of habitat. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Caribbean - Jamaica

Habitat

Wet limestone forests at elevations from 350 - 870 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 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

Historically, the timber was highly valued, especially for building shipmasts; at one stage the wood had a higher value than that of mahogany. Saplings are used for yam sticks[].

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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