Cedrela odorata L.

Early development of the seedling is  rapid as long as moisture and light are adequate (5,46,62).  Shade-grown seedlings saturate photosynthetically at low  intensities and are shade tolerant, but sun-grown seedlings  require high light intensities for best growth (27,28,29).  Shade-grown seedlings are susceptible to sunscald and subsequent  insect attack when moved to sun (43). Fertilizer trials showed  best growth with 7-6-19 fertilizer (6).

    In natural forest, high seedling densities are common near  fruiting trees shortly after the beginning of the rainy season,  but most of these seedlings disappear by the middle of the rains  or a little later; this high natural mortality may be due to  shade or competition but is thought to be partly due to damping  off or other root problems (40). Seedlings and saplings have  extremely shallow root systems and are sensitive to uprooting and  root trampling (10). Seedlings average 1 in (3.3 ft) in growth  and develop a stem diameter of 10 mm (0.4 in) or more during the  first year under favorable conditions (table 1). Early growth is  vigorous under partial shade, when the shootborer attack is not  severe (8,51,62).

    Table 1- Early seedling growth of cedro hembra  (Cedrela odorata)          Country  Origin of  test material  Germination  Annual  growth¹  Surival      Height  D.b.h.                  (pct)  (cm)  (in)  (cm)  (in)  (pct)      Puerto  Rico (62)                           Full sun  5  Provenances  10 to 62  26.2  10.3  8.4  3.3  98 to  100      St. Croix,  VI (62)                           Shade  5  Provenances  nr 2  29.3  11.5  8.5  3.3  93 to 97      Venezuela  (4)  Venezuela  85 to 90  120  47.2  nr  nr  nr      Trinidad  (39)  Trinidad  90  100  39.4  nr  nr  low      Nigeria  (14,44)  15  Provenances  nr  133.7  52.6  34.8  13.7  76      Uganda  (30)  12  Provenances  good  141  55.5  23.5  9.3  75 to 96      Tanzania  (48)  5  Provenances  nr  95  37.4  nr  nr  75      ¹All  gowth data were converted to an annual basis.
  ²Not reported.                     

    Natural cedro regeneration from seed is good in many parts of  Central and South America, but good initial growth is often  followed by dieback after 2 to 3 years. This problem may be only  partially related to the shootborer and may also reflect the  scarcity of appropriate soils, especially in some of the areas  subjected to most intensive study. The abundance of cedro  regrowth as almost pure stands with no apparent shootborer  problems on recent and ancient limestone ruins in areas with a  strong dry season (52) suggests that cedro may be a calciphile.

    In some parts of the neotropics selective removal of seed trees  has left the forest with insufficient stock for natural  regeneration, even on favorable sites. Some success has been  claimed for artifical regeneration using the taungya method (a  system using native farmers who plant the trees interspersed with  their food crops, abandoning the field later to return to forest,  now enriched with the desired plantation species); line plantings  followed by natural liberation are also used (11,42,58).  Successful establishment by the taungya system has been achieved  in Africa, where extensive areas of well-drained soils are  present, and the native shootborer does not attack New World  cedro (34).

Isotype for Cedrela longipetiolulata Harms
Catalog Number: US 2223585
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Verification Degree: Card file verified by examination of alleged type specimen
Preparation: Pressed specimen
Collector(s): G. Tessmann
Locality: Rio Huallaga, margen Derecha del; Balsa Probana; dtto. Tocache Nuevo, Mariscal Cáceres, San Martín, Peru, South America

Fruits open from the  top downward to release 40 to 50 winged seeds when ripe. Seed  weight is about 8 to 10 percent of dry fruit weight. One kilogram  (2.2 lb) contains 20,000 to 50,000 seeds (9,100 to 22,700/lb,  approximately). Seeds are 20 to 25 mm (0.75 to 1.0 in) long, wing  included, and are wind dispersed. Heavy seed crops are produced  annually in some areas and biennially or irregularly in others  (41,59). Seeds are shed during the dry season. They lose  viability quickly if not stored very dry at reduced temperatures  (12,37,38).Germination begins with the onset of the  rainy season and is epigeous. Vigorous germination is the rule,  with seed viability reportedly up to 90 percent (40). No seed  dormancy period is known. Germination is rapid, usually completed  within 2 to 4 weeks (37,38).

Holotype for Cedrela yucatana S.F. Blake
Catalog Number: US 15618
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Verification Degree: Original publication and alleged type specimen examined
Preparation: Pressed specimen
Collector(s): A. C. V. Schott
Locality: Merida., Yucatán, Mexico, North America