Afrocarpus falcatus 981
Author: (Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828)) Christopher Nigel Page (1942-)Family: Podocarpaceae
Genus: Afrocarpus
Synonym(s): Afrocarpus gaussenii,Decussocarpus falcatus,Nageia falcata,Podocarpus falcatus
English name: Outeniqua yellowwood
Zone: South Africa
Description
This species occurs in the high, moist forests lining rivers in the southern Cape, where it attains its greatest size in the Knysna forest just above sea level. Eastwards and northwards it ascends to higher elevations (altitude range 500-1700m) and is restricted to patches of moist forest in ravines and wooded slopes exposed to oceanic winds that bring rain. The specific epithet refers to the sickle-shaped leaves.
Experiences
Our first Podocarpaceae were purchased from the Issa nursery in spring 2012. In the first test garden we planted Afrocarpus falcatus, Podocarpus elongatus and Podocarpus latifolius. Afrocarpus falcatus has re-grown despite an unfavorable substrate, however we have learned that the location of the garden allows it to survive the harshest winters. It has served as a mother plant for many cuttings.
Afrocarpus falcatus Observed in South Africa by Nicola van Berkel (license)
Botanical Description
It is a tree generally to 25m tall but attaining 60m, with a massive trunk, 2m in diameter. The bark is smooth in young trees, flaking in rectangular or rounded small plates in large trees, purplish brown or dark brown, weathering grey. The branches are ascending and spreading, forming a broad, domed crown.
The leaves are spirally arranged, on seedlings and young plants narrowly linear-lanceolate, up to 12cm long and 3-6mm wide, straight or falcate, tapering to a fine point. The adult leaves are much shorter, 2-4cm long, 2-4mm wide, twisted at the narrowed base, spreading to ascending, straight or slightly falcate, linear-lanceolate to linear-elliptic, with a conspicuously raised midrib adaxially (lower side), obscurely present abaxially, grey-green. The apex is acute to obtuse.
The pollen cones are solitary or with 2-4 on very short stalks or subsessile, axillary to foliage leaves or not, subtended by a whorl of papery bracts, initially subglobose, elongating to cylindrical, 5-13mm long, 2-3mm in diameter.
The seed cones are solitary on small, scaly branchlets situated axillary to or below foliage leaves, with several sterile and one terminal, larger fertile bract. The mature seed cones with a single seed are subtended by a single, short bract. With seed enclosed by a fleshy, firm epimatium that ripens from glaucous green to yellow or light reddish brown, globose to obovoid, 12-18mm long, resinous. The seed proper nearly spherical but slightly compressed laterally, 10-14mm in diameter, with a verrucose surface and a 1mm thick, hard seed coat.
It closely resembles Afrocarpus gracilior, which has slightly bigger leaves and slightly larger oval cones with a smooth skin.
The leaves are spirally arranged, on seedlings and young plants narrowly linear-lanceolate, up to 12cm long and 3-6mm wide, straight or falcate, tapering to a fine point. The adult leaves are much shorter, 2-4cm long, 2-4mm wide, twisted at the narrowed base, spreading to ascending, straight or slightly falcate, linear-lanceolate to linear-elliptic, with a conspicuously raised midrib adaxially (lower side), obscurely present abaxially, grey-green. The apex is acute to obtuse.
The pollen cones are solitary or with 2-4 on very short stalks or subsessile, axillary to foliage leaves or not, subtended by a whorl of papery bracts, initially subglobose, elongating to cylindrical, 5-13mm long, 2-3mm in diameter.
The seed cones are solitary on small, scaly branchlets situated axillary to or below foliage leaves, with several sterile and one terminal, larger fertile bract. The mature seed cones with a single seed are subtended by a single, short bract. With seed enclosed by a fleshy, firm epimatium that ripens from glaucous green to yellow or light reddish brown, globose to obovoid, 12-18mm long, resinous. The seed proper nearly spherical but slightly compressed laterally, 10-14mm in diameter, with a verrucose surface and a 1mm thick, hard seed coat.
It closely resembles Afrocarpus gracilior, which has slightly bigger leaves and slightly larger oval cones with a smooth skin.
Useful plant
The wood of Afrocarpus falcatus is valuable especially in the large sizes it attains in the southern Cape. It was used in the pas for ship masts and is still in high demand for boat building. The sawn timber is also used in construction for beams and rafters, house floors and wall paneling, carpentry and joinery, and furniture making. In horticulture it is increasingly popular as an amenity tree, mainly in countries with a mild climate. It could be planted singly or in groups in a large lawn in a park or garden. Use it as a windbreak or screen on a farm.
References
- A handbook of the world's conifers 1+2, Aljos Farjon. 2010 pag. 138-139. ISBN
- A selection of Ethiopia’s indigenous trees: Biology, uses and propagation techniques, Negash, Legesse. 2022 pag. 67-98. ISBN
- Flora of Southern Africa, L.E. Codd, B. De Winter And H.B. Rycroft. Vol. 1 pag. 35-38. Address
- Indigenous Plants A South Africa Guide, Pitta Joffe & Tinus Oberholzer. 2012 pag. 107. ISBN
- PlantZafrica, Nick Klapwijk. Pretoria NBG 2003. Afrocarpus falcatus
- The Gymnosperm Database. Afrocarpus falcatus
- Trees of Southern Africa, Meg Coates Palgrave. 2002 pag. 88. ISBN
- Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, Maundu P. M. &Tengnas T. 2005 Vol. 35. Address
References
- A handbook of the world's conifers 1+2, Aljos Farjon. 2010 pag. 138-139. ISBN
- A selection of Ethiopia’s indigenous trees: Biology, uses and propagation techniques, Negash, Legesse. 2022 pag. 67-98. ISBN
- Flora of Southern Africa, L.E. Codd, B. De Winter And H.B. Rycroft. Vol. 1 pag. 35-38. Address
- Indigenous Plants A South Africa Guide, Pitta Joffe & Tinus Oberholzer. 2012 pag. 107. ISBN
- PlantZafrica, Nick Klapwijk. Pretoria NBG 2003. Afrocarpus falcatus
- The Gymnosperm Database. Afrocarpus falcatus
- Trees of Southern Africa, Meg Coates Palgrave. 2002 pag. 88. ISBN
- Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, Maundu P. M. &Tengnas T. 2005 Vol. 35. Address
References for the genus
General specifications
Biological type: tree
Frost resistance: 5ºF
Leaf color: dark green
IUCN Red List of threatened species status: Least Concern
Specifications for the Mediterranean basin
Adult size (h x w): 65,6ft x 49,2ft
Sun exposure: full sun (Sun hours: >6h Foliage: evergreen
Growth: average
Specific information for our garden
Planting substrate: 40%Compost+60%Sand
Plant watering: Sensor pH 6.5 Humid
Logical sequence of containers for: Eucalyptus; forestry plate, forestry pot 3L, Airpot 12L, Airpot 50L, Airpot 800L
Propagation is done by cuttings
Units in the garden: 3x
Ecology in its country of origin
Rainfall: 800-1097mm
Sandy soil: much
Humus soil: much
Acidic soil: a little
Coastal soil: much
Street alignment tree: suitable
Frost resistance: 5ºF
Leaf color: dark green
IUCN Red List of threatened species status: Least Concern
Specifications for the Mediterranean basin
Adult size (h x w): 65,6ft x 49,2ft
Sun exposure: full sun (Sun hours: >6h Foliage: evergreen
Growth: average
Specific information for our garden
Planting substrate: 40%Compost+60%Sand
Plant watering: Sensor pH 6.5 Humid
Logical sequence of containers for: Eucalyptus; forestry plate, forestry pot 3L, Airpot 12L, Airpot 50L, Airpot 800L
Propagation is done by cuttings
Units in the garden: 3x
Ecology in its country of origin
Rainfall: 800-1097mm
Sandy soil: much
Humus soil: much
Acidic soil: a little
Coastal soil: much
Street alignment tree: suitable
Sowing instructions
SPRING Scarify the seed coating. Sow the seeds at 2mm depth in the Well Drained Seed Sowing Mix between 59-68°F. During germination keep the substrate moist and in daylight. The seeds germinate in 4-26 weeks.
The average seed weight is 2,0 per gram (0,50988g).
Germination references
- A selection of Ethiopia’s indigenous trees: Biology, uses and propagation techniques, Negash, Legesse. 2022 pag. 67-98. ISBN
- Evaluation of Tetrazolium Chloride and Hydrogen Peroxide for quick seed viability testing, Getachew Samuel. Trends in Tree Seed Systems in Ethiopia 2011 pag. 15-21. ResearchGate
- PlantZafrica, Nick Klapwijk. Pretoria NBG 2003. Afrocarpus falcatus
- Seed handling and germination optimizing of tree species: A review of the existing system, Getachew Samuel and Derero Abayneh. Trends in Tree Seed Systems in Ethiopia 2011 pag. 30-42. ResearchGate
- Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, Maundu P. M. &Tengnas T. 2005 Vol. 35. Address
The average seed weight is 2,0 per gram (0,50988g).
Germination references
- A selection of Ethiopia’s indigenous trees: Biology, uses and propagation techniques, Negash, Legesse. 2022 pag. 67-98. ISBN
- Evaluation of Tetrazolium Chloride and Hydrogen Peroxide for quick seed viability testing, Getachew Samuel. Trends in Tree Seed Systems in Ethiopia 2011 pag. 15-21. ResearchGate
- PlantZafrica, Nick Klapwijk. Pretoria NBG 2003. Afrocarpus falcatus
- Seed handling and germination optimizing of tree species: A review of the existing system, Getachew Samuel and Derero Abayneh. Trends in Tree Seed Systems in Ethiopia 2011 pag. 30-42. ResearchGate
- Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, Maundu P. M. &Tengnas T. 2005 Vol. 35. Address
Experiences in the garden
09-05-12A Obtaining 1 plants from nursery Issa, they are planted in zone(s) JTz2
12-05-16B Obtaining 10 plants from nursery Issa, they are in our nursery GrandP11 6x A45
05-05-17C Obtaining seeds from seed provider SilverHill.
12-09-18 Send a batch to nursery Issa.
05-05-17D Obtaining 25 plants from nursery Issa, they are in our nursery GrandP10 25x C110
06-02-18 Remark: A souffert du froid et de l'humidité en hiver Terrasse.
30-10-17E Obtaining 8 plants from nursery Issa, they are in our nursery GrandP10 4x C110 GrandP11 4x C110
09-11-17F Obtaining 19 plants from nursery Arven, they are in our nursery GrandP11 12x A45 GrandP11 7x C110
02-02-18G Obtaining 41 plants from nursery Issa, they are in our nursery GrandP10 27x C110 Ombr16g 13x A45
18-03-19 1x Dead plant because of watering problem: Ombr16d A3.
24-10-18 Remark: Problême de rempotage.
26-07-18H Obtaining 20 plants from nursery Issa, they are in our nursery GrandP11 13x C110 Ombr16g 4x A45 and planted in zone(s) Rb5
24-11-22 1x Dead plant due to too less attention of the team: Ombr16d C6.
24-10-18I Obtaining 14 plants from nursery Issa, they are in our nursery GrandP11 11x C110 Ombr16g 3x A45
18-06-19C Obtaining 25 plants from nursery Issa, they are in our nursery Ombr16g 25x A45
03-04-19E Collection of scions in the garden Ombr16d A45.
. . . 2019E Production of 1 plants in our nursery: Serre6 1x C6
10-03-21J Obtaining seeds from seed provider SilverHill. Stock