Anogeissus latifolia
Anogeissus latifolia
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of lowland, drier to moist tropical areas, where it is found at elevations up to 1,300 metres[1, 2]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 33°c, but can tolerate 7 - 47°c[2]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -2°c or lower, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 1,400mm, but tolerates 600 - 2,300mm[2]. Young trees tolerate light shade, but adult trees require a sunny position[1]. Grows best in a deep, fertile, well-drained soil, but can also succeed in soils of low fertility[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7[2]. Established plants are drought tolerant[2]. Natural regeneration of this species is very good, though young trees are very intolerant of weed competition[1]. The tree produces root suckers, coppices and pollards well, but these exhibit great seasonal variability[1]. Coppicing and pollarding should not be done during the rainy season[1]. Thinning of coppice is necessary. Coppicing is relied upon to regenerate natural stands, coppice shoots grow fairly quickly[1]. Trees are easily damaged by fire[2]. Its flowers are an important pollen source for bees[1].
Propagation
Generally, seed viability is low but increases after very dry seasons[1]. Germination rates can be increased by pre-soaking the seeds for 3 minutes in hot water[1]. Fruits should be collected only when they are fully ripe as immature seeds fail to germinate. The ripe fruits are collected from the trees, dried in the sun and then stored. Seed storage in metal tins or polythene containers is the best[1]. Shoot cuttings failed to root and callous irrespective of IBA concentrations and method of application[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Anogeissus+latifolia>
Pollinators
Insects
References
- [1]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
- [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [3]Trade in Indian Medicinal Plants — D.K.Ved, S.Noorunnisa Begum, & K.Ravi Kumar · Apple Academic Press; Oakville, Canada · 2018 · ISBN 978-1-77188-600-0 ↩︎
- [4]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
- [5]Indian Medicinal Plants; An Illustrated Dictionary — Khare C.P. (Ed.) · Springer-Verlag Berlin/Heidelberg · 2007 · ISBN 978-0-387-70637-5 ↩︎
- [6]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
- [7]Pharmacographia Indica — Dymock W.; Warden C.J.H.; Hooper D. · Education Society's Press, Byculla; Mombai. · 1890 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Information on the principal plant medicines encountered in India in the 19th century.
- [8]A Manual of the Timbers of the World — Howard A.L. · MacMillan and Co.; London. · 1934 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎An excellent and comprehensive book on timbers. Rather dated, but still a main source of information for many of the less known woods. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [9]Indian Medicinal Planta — Kirkitar K.R.; Basu B.D. & Indian Civil Service · Sudhindra Nath Basu, BahadurGanj; India · 1918 ↩︎