Styrax benzoin Dryand.
Family
Styracaceae
Synonyms
Benzoin officinale Hayne, Cyrta dealbata Miers, Plagiospermum benzoin Pierre.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Kemenyan (Peninsular). |
| English | Sumatra benzoin tree, gum benjamin tree. |
| Indonesia | kemenyan (general), haminjon durame, menyan (Java). |
| Laos | kam nha:n (general). |
| Thailand | kam yaan (peninsular). |
| Vietnam | c[ur] chi (general), c[oo] chi (Khanh Hoa), m[ax] ti[eef]n. |
Geographical Distribution
Stryrax benzoin occurs naturally in India, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and is rare in West Java; it has been cultivated in Sumatra since early the 19th Century, and is also cultivated in Java and West Kalimantan.
Description
S. benzoin is a tree can grow measure about 8-34 m tall while the trunk is measure about 10-100 cm in diametre and with grey young twigs.
The leaf blade is a measure about 8-13 cm x 2-5 cm. The undersurface leaf is with white woolly indumentum of stellate hairs and with 7-13 pairs of veins.
The inflorescence is a panicle up to measure 20 cm long, but usually smaller than the leaves. The white flowers are fragrant. The pedicel is up to measure 4 mm long. The petal tube is measuring 1-2 mm long while its lobes are measure about 9-12 mm x 2-3.5 mm.
The indehiscent fruit is a measure about 2-3 cm x 2 cm.
The seed is nearly spherical in shape, with a size of measure about 1.5-2 cm in diametre and it is dull pale brown in colour.
Ecology / Cultivation
S. benzoin is found at altitudes of 100—700(—1600) m, outside Malesia it is restricted to 200—500 m.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 18: Plants producing exudates.
