Entandrophragma cylindricum
Entandrophragma cylindricum
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A tree of low to medium elevations in the moist tropics[1]. It favours areas where the annual rainfall is around 1,750 mm, there is a dry period of 2 - 4 months and a mean annual temperature of 24 - 26°c[1]. Prefers well-drained soils, being more tolerant of dry forest than any other member of the genus[1]. It is generally recognized as a non-pioneering tree that demands plenty of light, although a study in DR Congo indicated it as being exceptionally shade-tolerant[1]. Seedlings up to 2 years old require light shade, but thereafter they should be gradually exposed to more light. They can survive for several years in the shade without significant growth, but when a gap is created in the forest providing enough light further development into a tree starts[1]. Natural regeneration is often scarce in natural forest, but logging operations creating gaps may promote regeneration, larger gaps appearing more favourable[1]. Under natural conditions, seeds germinate abundantly, but mortality of seedlings is high, less than 1% reaching 10 cm stem diameter[1]. Seedlings grow slowly, at around 20 - 40 cm/year[1]. Root development takes considerable time[1]. The mean annual diameter increment for trees in the Central African Republic has been established at 3.9mm, but the variability is large. For trees planted in lines in forest in Cameroon, the average annual height growth during 40 years was 30 - 50cm and average annual diameter growth 4 - 8mm. Trees planted in the open in Cote d'Ivoire reached an average height of 5.4 metres and an average stem diameter of 10cm after 7 years, with a survival rate of 74%[1]. Trees start flowering when 35 - 45 years old. Fruit production starts when trees have reached bole diameters above 50 cm. This has implications for forest management; minimum felling diameters should be well above 50 cm to allow natural regeneration[1]. Trees can live for over 500 years[1]. The trees lose their leaves for 2 - 4 weeks, or gradually change leaves over a period of 8 - 13 weeks[1]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[1].
Propagation
Seed - pre-soaking for 12 hours in warm water is said to speed up germination[1]. The seed rapidly loses viability, often within 3 weeks, and so it is best sown fresh when the germination rate is around 80 - 95%[1]. Germination starts 14 - 26 days after sowing[1]. Overhead shade is required for young seedlings, they perform poorly under full light conditions[1]. Seeds can be stored for some time in sealed containers in a cool place, but insect damage, to which they are very susceptible, should be avoided, e.g. by adding ash[1]. Cuttings 90 - 110 cm long have been used successfully for propagation[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Entandrophragma+cylindricum>
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]African Flowering Plants Database — Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. · http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php ↩︎Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
- [3]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.
- [4]Tropix 7 — CIRAD · http://tropix.cirad.fr/en ↩︎An on-line guide to the timbers of 245 species of trees.