Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr.
Family
Leguminosae
Synonyms
Parkia roxburghii G. Don,Parkia biglobosa auct. non (Jacq.) R.Br., Parkia javanica auct
Vernacular Names
Malaysia | Kedaung (Sarawak), kupang (Sabah), petai kerayong (Peninsular) |
Indonesia | Alai (Sumatra), kedawung (Javanese), peundeuy (Sundanese) |
Philippines | Kupang(Pilipino), amarang (Palawan) |
Burma (Myanmar) | Mai-karien (Shan) |
Thailand | Kariang, riang (Peninsular) |
Geographical Distributions
This plant is distributed throughout India, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand and the Malesian region (except Papua New Guinea).
Description
It is a tree up to 50 m tall.
The leaves are arranged alternate. The primary rachis is a stalk of 18-42 cm long and the pinnate leaf comes with 14-31 pairs of leaflet. The secondary rachis is 8.7-11.5 cm long with 52-72 pairs of leaflet of the pinnate leaf. The leaf form is somewhat sigmoid, 6-10.5 mm x 1-2 mm. The leaflet base eared on proximal side, while its apex is acute.
There are 5-7 stalks per compound inflorescence, each is 8.5-33 cm long with 5.5-6.7 cm long head. The inflorescence became big and rounded at the time the flowers expand. The apical part is 3-4.5 cm in diametre. It has bisexual flowers with sepal up to 10.5 mm long and petal up to 11 mm long. The lobes are up to 2 mm while its strap-shaped pod is up to 50 cm long (including carpel stalk) and 4-5.5 cm broad. Its valves are woody but rarely twisted and have 6-15.5 cm long carpel stalks.
The number of seeds is 12-19 per pod, lying horizontally across the width of the pod.
Ecology / Cultivation
P. timoriana is found in lowland rain forest, mixed deciduous and dry evergreen forests, often along streams or the upper part of slopes. It prefers fertile soils with a pH between 5-7, at 0-600(-1300) m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
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Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.