Volume 2 > Part 4 > Year 1981 > Page 398 > Irvingiaceae > Irvingia

Irvingia malayana Oliv. ex A.W.Benn.

Hook. f., Fl. Br. Ind. 1: 522. 1875; Oliv, in Hook., Ic. Pl.: t. 1247. 1877: King. J. As. Soc. Bengal 62.2: 230. 1893; Craib, Fl. Siam. En. 1: 43. 1926; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 1: 364. 1922; Gagnep. In Fl. Gén. I.-C. Suppl. 1: 669. 1946; Noot. In Fl. Males., Ser. 1, Spermat. 6: 225. f. 23, 24. 1962; Phengklai, Thai For. Bull. (Bot.) 9: 5. f. 3. 1975.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Evergreen tree, 10–30 m high, 60–150 cm girth: base with prominent, thin and steep buttress; bark greyish-brown, rather smooth, sometimes peeling off in large pieces; branchlets with conspicuous annular leaf-scars. Stipules 1.5–3 cm long, forming a narrowly tube with curved, sharped point, early caducous. Leaves elliptic, oblong-elliptic, ovate to oblong-ovate, 8–20 by 2.5–9 cm; glabrous on the upper surface, glabrescent on the lower surface; apex cuspidate; base acute, obtuse, suboblique; nerves 8–10 pairs, reticulation conspicuous on both surfaces; petiole 1–2 cm long, glabrous, grooved above. Panicles 5–15 cm long; bracts ovate with acute apex. Flowers small, greenish-white or yellowish. Calyx and corolla 5-merous each; petals free, about 3 times as long as sepals, the latter connate at the base. Stamens 10, free. Ovary superior, 2-locular, style 1. Drupe ovoid or ellipsoid, ± 6 by 4 cm, fleshy with yellow exocarp; endocarp woody; seed white with fatty cotyledons.

Thailand : Throughout the country.

Distribution : India, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaya (type), Sumatra, Borneo.

Ecology : Frequent in dry deciduous dipterocarp forests, dry evergreen forests and also in tropical rain forests, below 300 m alt. Flowering: January–March; fruiting: February–April.

Vernacular : Ka bok (กะบก) Cha bok (จะบก), ta bok (ตะบก), ma luen (มะลื่น); mak luen (หมักลื่น), muen (มื่น)(Northern); lak kai (หลักกาย), bok (บก), mak bok (หมากบก)(Northeastern); cha ang (ชะอัง)(Southeastern).

Uses: Owing to its large silica content and the low durability, the wood is generally used for charcoal. Seeds are edible either cooked or raw and used as an integral part in the manufacturing of wax, cocoa and soap.