Dacryodes excelsa
Dacryodes excelsa
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A tree of low to medium elevations in the tropics, it is found in areas with a mean temperature in the range of 21 - 25°c, and a mean annual precipitation range from 2,000 - 4,000 mm[1]. Precipitation is generally abundant except for about 3 months of the year, when it may drop to about 75 mm per month[1]. Grows in the wild on deep, red, clay soils derived from igneous rock[1]. Typically these soils are stony, often with large boulders, and internal drainage is good[1]. The soil is usually acid, with a pH of around 4.5 - 5.5[1]. Seedlings are very tolerant of shade, but plants need more light as they grow older[1]. At 9 years, trees were 3.0 - 4.3 metres in height and 3.8 to 5.0 cm in dbh[1]. The trees are deep rooted and able to withstand the numerous hurricanes of the Caribbean area[2]. Large tabonuco trees tend to be concentrated on upper slopes and ridges, where they may form nearly pure groups whose roots are grafted, thus forming a tree union or clumps of trees[1]. Presumably this reflects the better drainage of soils at such locations or the superior anchorage against hurricane winds that the prominent boulders may offer. Significantly superior diameter growth rates of tabonuco on ridges as compared to swales have been reported[1]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required.
Propagation
Seed - the seed has a short viability and needs to be sown as soon as possible[1]. Germination is epigeal and, in the wild, takes place within a few days under humid, shady conditions[1]. Under direct exposure to the sun, germination is less than in the shade, 11% compared to 28% in one test[1]. Under shady, nursery conditions, seedlings attained a height of 22 cm in 6 months. Like many other large-seeded tree species, tabonuco does not survive bare root transplanting[1].. In contrast, 85 percent survival has been attained by the use of containers with an intact ball of earth about the roots[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Dacryodes+excelsa>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Silvics of North America. Agricultural Handbook No. 654. — Burns. R.M. & Honkala. B.H. · USDA Forest Service; Washington DC. · 1990 · http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm ↩︎A very comprehensice guide to about 200 species of timber trees of N. America, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Mainly temperate species, plus a number of tropical species. It is downloadable from the Internet.
- [2]Present and Potential Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean — Longwood.F.R. · USDA Forest Service; Washington, DC. · 1962 ↩︎Quite detailed information on more than 60 species of Caribbean timber trees, giving species descriptions, habitat, detailed info on the wood and some info on other uses. Available for download on the internet.
- [3]Fruits of the Guianan Flora — van Roosmalen. M.G.M. · Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands. · 1985 · ISBN 90-9000988-4 ↩︎Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat.
- [4]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.
- [5]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.
- [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎