Thespesia populnea – A multipurpose tree species

Thespesia populnea is a valued multipurpose tree species grown in India especially by the rural coastal population. It is a timber of great utility, being used for furniture, agricultural implements and small canoes. It is an easy timber to saw and work and can be brought to a smooth surface and also takes a high polish. The wood is highly valued because it does not split. The wood is highly resistant to dry wood termites. The problem with this farmer friendly tree species is that it grows with twists and turns and therefore, timber of good length is not generally available, limiting its market potential. To address this issue, ICFRE-Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, India initiated a systematic tree improvement programme since 2011, conducted exhaustive field surveys, selected 139 crook free plus trees from the southern states, and assembled them in a Clonal Multiplication Area (CMA). Multi-location clonal trials established using the plantlets derived from this CMA are in various stages of evaluation for release of crook free superior clones. Apart from the utility as timber, this species yields fodder relished by cattle. It is also grown in agroforestry as standard for pepper. Wood yields dye and tannin. Most of the plant parts are being used in various medicines. It is also suitable for paper pulp. A detailed review of this valuable multipurpose tree species is presented in this paper.