Cynometra ramiflora L.
Family
Leguminosae
Synonyms
Cynometra bijuga Spanoghe ex Miq., Cynometra hosinoi Kaneh., Cynometra neo-caledonica Guillaumin.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Katong laut (General). |
| Indonesia | Kateng, kepel, wunut (Java). |
| Philippines | Balitbitan, oringen (General). |
| Cambodia | Chôm’prinh. |
| Thailand | Phang kha (Central), ma khak (Peninsular), maeng kha (Trat). |
| Vietnam | C[aa]y tr[aa]m ngh[eej], c[aa]y m[os]t. |
Geographical Distributions
Cynometra ramiflora is distributed from India, Indo-China, Thailand, throughout Malesia to the Pacific and often erroneously reported from Australia.
Description
C. ramiflora is a small to medium-sized tree that can reach up to 30 m tall. Its bole measuring up to 60 cm in diametre and sometimes with buttresses that can reach up to 90 cm high.
The outer bark is smooth but with numerous lenticels. It is dark grey to brown. The inner bark is whitish or light brown to red, with pale pinkish-brown sapwood and cream to reddish-brown heartwood.
The leaves are with 1-2 pairs of rounded to acuminate leaflets. The lower pair is usually smaller than the upper one.
The pod is distinctly wrinkled, spherical or slightly flattened, woody and measuring 2.2-5 cm x 1.3-4 cm.
Ecology / Cultivation
C. ramiflora is a characteristic constituent of the inner fringe of mangrove forests but it is also found in land, riverine and even savanna where vegetation cover up to 525 m altitude. The density of the wood is 720-1155 kg/m3 at 15% moisture content.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 5(1): Timber trees: Major commercial timbers.
