Common Name:

General Information

Pouteria altissima is a tree with a spreading crown; it can grow up to 45 metres tall, occasionally to 50 metres. The bole is often straight and cylindrical, sometimes deeply fluted; it can be free of branches for up to 30 metres, up to 200cm in diameter and with triangular, often winged buttresses up to 3 metres high[, ].
An important timber tree in Africa,where it is commonly harvested from the wild. It is valued particularly for veneer production and is often exported. It is sometimes planted as roadside tree[].
The species is overexploited for its timber in parts of its range. Because of its wide range, it is currentl classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Guinea, through Cameroon to Sudan and Ethiopia, south to DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania.

Habitat

A canopy tree in the driest types of semi-deciduous forest in west Africa; it can be common, locally even dominant, in rainforest in east Africa; found at elevations from 1,000 - 1,700 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	35.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

In natural forest in Gabon the trees showed a mean annual bole diameter increment of 3.3mm. In the Central African Republic the annual bole diameter increment was 3.2mm in a non-perturbed forest, 4mm after exploitation of the forest and 6mm after exploitation and chemical thinning[].
Most trees with boles over 50 cm in diameter are capable of producing fruits[].
Seedlings are classified as non-pioneer light demanders. Although they may be abundant around parent trees, further development depends on the presence of gaps in the forest canopy. However, research in Uganda showed that large-scale logging operations in the forest negatively influence regeneration[].
Tests on regeneration in Kenya showed that artificial regeneration of this species in buffer plantations around the natural timber production forest may be needed to maintain it in sufficient numbers after logging[].
In cultivation, the tree can be managed by coppicing or pollarding[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

In Ethiopia and Uganda the tree is used as a shade tree in coffee, banana and cocoa plantations[].
The tree is considered useful as a bee plant[].

Other Uses

A latex exudes from the bark[]. No uses are recorded.

The heartwood is creamy white to reddish brown; it is indistinctly demarcated from the 3 - 6cm wide band of sapwood. The grain is straight, sometimes interlocked; texture fine to moderately coarse. The wood is moderately light, it is not durable and is liable to attacks by fungi, termites, dry-wood borers and marine borers. Drying usually does not cause problems, but there is a slight risk of distortion and checking and a tendency to blue stain, especially in early stages of air drying. The shrinkage rates are moderate. Once dry, the wood is moderately stable in service. The wood contains about 0.3% silica and consequently the blunting effect on saws and cutting tools is high - stellite-tipped sawteeth and tungsten-carbide tools are recommended. It sometimes finishes poorly after planing or sawing; nailing, screwing and slicing properties are good; and the wood stains, paints and glues well. The wood is especially recommended for high-quality sliced and peeled veneer. It is also used for light carpentry, interior joinery, high-class furniture, moulding, light construction, vehicle bodies, musical instruments, boxes and crates, railway sleepers, toys and novelties, turnery, and pulpwood for paper production[].
The wood is used for fuel and for the production of charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - it loses viability very quickly and should be sown directly after collection[]. Seeds can be sown in light shade, but seedlings will soon need higher light intensities if they are to thrive[].

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