Common Name: Diablo Fuerte

General Information

Retrophyllum rospigliosii is an evergreen tree with an oval crown; it can grow up to 30 metres tall. The bole can be 40cm in diameter, usually branching from above 3 metres[, ].
A valuable timber tree, it is commonly harvested from the wild for commercial use.
Although this timber tree species has relatively a broad distribution in tropical South America it has been under much pressure from logging during the last 50-60 years. There is evidence that many of the formerly quite extensive stands have now either disappeared or been considerably reduced; this is certainly the case in Peru which once contained some of the most important stands of this species. It is estimated that there has been at least 30% global loss within the last three generations (here a generation length of 25-30 years seems to be reasonable for this species). A continuing decline is highly likely but very difficult to quantify. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - central Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, northwest Venezuela

Habitat

Montane tropical rainforest, cloud forest - often forming more or less extensive pure stands on exposed sites, but as a result of deforestation it is more often found as scattered individuals; at elevations from 1,500 - 3,750 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Native to the wet forests of the Andes, Retrophyllum rospigliosii grows best at elevations from 1,500 - 3,500 metres, where mean annual temperatures are in the range 10 - 18°c, and men annual precipitation is 1,500 - 2,500mm. It can withstand some frost when dormant, tolerating temperatures occasionally falling to between -1°c and +4.4°c[]. The tree needs constant humidity and cloudines, which it finds in habitats that include pre-mountainous wet and very wet forest, low mountainous wet and very wet forest, and mountainous pluvial forest[].
The tree develops best on gentle slopes, fertile river lowlands, plateaus, and small depressions. It grows in wet, clay or clay-sand, deep, relatively fertile soils with good to slow drainage and an acid pH[].
A very slow-growing tree[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A wood is of very good quality, it is straight grained, of medium density, durable and workable. Able to yield large sizes of sawn timber, is much used for construction, carpentry, furniture, cabinet making, wood turning, boxes, moldings and veneer[, ]. It is also used for light poles, paper pulp, and pencils[].

Propagation

Seed -

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