Common Name:

General Information

Podocarpus sprucei is an evergreen tree with a bushy crown of ascending, spreading branches; it can grow up to 20 metres tall, though it is much smaller at higher elevations. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 50cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is commonly harvested from the wild for its valuable timber, which is used locally and also traded. The plant is grown as an ornamental,
Overexploitation of this species for timber has been a problem since at least 1945. Selective felling, not only of this species, leads to forest degradation and is followed by the conversion of forest for agriculture and pastoralism. Remaining forests are increasingly fragmented. Few trees remain in Peru, and there have been significant declines in Ecuador The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northern Peru to eastern Ecuador

Habitat

High montane to subalpine forest up to the tree line, at elevations from 1,800 - 3,900 metres, only becoming a tree at lower elevations[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

This species is planted as an ornamental in parks in Ecuador[].
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

The wood of this species is much in demand and trees are logged from primary forest often unsustainably due to scarcity and slow growth. It is used in house construction and to make furniture as it takes a fine polish[].

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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