Description
Outeniqua Yellowwood
Podocarpus falcatus
Common names: Outeniqua yellowwood, Outeniekwageelhout (Afrikaans) mogôbagôba (Northern Sotho), umsonti (Zulu).
Family: Podocarpaceae
Wildlife
- Ripe fruit are eaten by bats, bushpigs, fruit-eating birds (Cape parrots, Knysna and Ross’s Loeries, Rameron, African green pigeons and Delagorgue’s pigeons).
- The mature trees provide roosting and nesting sites for various bird species.
- The edible and resinous fruit attracts a range of bird life to the area.
- Bats have been observed to eat the fruit of the tree and disperse the seeds.
- Bush pigs, monkeys and baboons have been observed eating the cones.
- Other animal species like rodents and door mice have been observed to hoard the seeds.
Medicinal
- The bark and seeds are known to be mainly used in traditional medicine.
- Powdered seeds have been applied to sunburn.
- The seeds have been known to treat tuberculoid meningitis.
- An oil extract is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea.
- Concoctions of the bark are used as painkillers, to treat diarrhoea, stomach ache and bring relief from itching rashes.
- The sap has been used as a remedy for chest complaints.
Practical Uses
- Hard load bearing wood makes it popular for furniture, roof beams, floorboards, door and window frames and boat building.
- The straight stems of these trees were once used for the topmasts of ships.
- The bark is used for tanning leather.
–
Image: cjmgrowers.co.za
