Fagraea fragrans Roxb.

Description:

Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia.Characteristic fissured bark of Fagraea fragrans Roxb. Gentianaceae, also placed in Loganiaceae, Potaliaceae. CN: [Malay - Tembusu Padang, Tembusu hutan, Temasuk, Tembesu, Kayu tammusu], Common tembusu, Ironwood. Native to Japan, India, Indo-China (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand), Malesia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore). Timber, Ornamental, landscaping. Its leaves are light green and oval in shape. A medium-sized or occasionally large tree up to 25(-55) m tall, bole up to 135(-250) cm in diameter, oocasionally fluted or with buttresses up to 2.5 m high, bark surface deeply irregularly fissured, dark brown, inner bark brown to yellow. Leaves oblong-lanceolate to obovate-oblong , 4-15 cm x 1.5-6 cm, apex usually short to long broadly acuminate, secondary veins slightly prominent to indistinct below, petiole 1-2.5 cm long, stipules rounded and partly free from petiole. Inflorescence axillary, pedicel with bracteoles at or below the middle; flowers fragrans, corolla tube narrowly funnel-shaped, 0.7-2.3 cm long, stigma capitate, faintly 2-lobed. Fruit broadly ellipsoid, 0.7-1 cm long; orange or red. F. fragrans is highly variable. Its yellowish flowers have a distinct fragrance and the fruits of the tree are bitter tasting red berries, which are eaten by birds and fruit bats.Synonym(s):Fagraea cochinchinensis A. Chev.Fagraea gigantea RidleyFagraea sororia J.J. SmithFagraea wallichiana Benth.Ref and suggested reading:www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?403234en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tembusuwww.worldagroforestrycentre.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/...