Xylopia pierrei (PROSEA)
From PlantUse English
Introduction |
Xylopia pierrei Hance
- Family: Annonaceae
Vernacular names
- Indo-China: yen trang.
Distribution
Indo-China.
Uses
The seeds are very aromatic and are thought to contain an extractable essential oil. The bark is very astringent and is sometimes chewed with betel. The wood is yellowish, hard, flexible and light but only suitable for indoor construction and to make utensils. The tree has ornamental value as well.
Observations
- Deciduous tree, 20-30 m tall, trunk diameter 40-60 cm.
- Leaves alternate; petiole 2-4 mm long, canaliculate; blade elliptical, 6-10 cm × 2-3 cm, subleathery, subglabrous.
- Flowers solitary or up to 3 in leaf axils; pedicel 8-16 mm long; calyx tubular, 3-lobed, small; petals 6, linear; stamens many, arranged spirally, the outer ones staminodial and obtriangular, the inner ones fertile and linear; gynoecium consisting of 2-5 distinct pistils, each one with a 1-locular, hairy ovary usually containing 6 ovules, a glabrous style and a papillate stigma.
- Fruit (matured carpel) berry-like, woody, ovoid, torulate with straight ventral and convex dorsal side, glabrous, dehiscent, containing 1-3(-6) seeds.
- Seed ovoid with a yellow aril and ruminate endosperm.
X. pierrei occurs in mountain forest; flowering is in February-March. It is closely related to X. parviflora A. Richard and possibly of interest also for other areas in South-East Asia.
Selected sources
- Burkill, I.H., 1935. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. 2 volumes. Crown Agents for the Colonies, London, United Kingdom. 2402 pp. (slightly revised reprint, 1966. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2444 pp.).
- Lecomte, M.H. & Gagnepain, F. (Editors), 1907-1950. Flore générale de l'Indo-Chine [General flora of Indo-China]. 7 volumes and supplements. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
- Pierre, J.B.L., 1880-1907. Flore forestière de la Cochinchine [Forest flora of Cochinchina]. 4 volumes in 26 parts. Octave Doin, Paris, France.
Authors
P.C.M. Jansen