Baphia nitida
Baphia nitida
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of the moister lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 600 metres[1]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 24 - 30°c, but can tolerate 16 - 32°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,400mm, but tolerates 1,300 - 4,500mm[2]. Prefers a position in full sun, tolerating light shade[2]. Prefers a fertile, medium-textured soil[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 5.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7[2]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[3].
Propagation
Seed - For best results cuttings should be taken from rather young parts of the plant[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Baphia+nitida>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
- [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]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [4]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.