Afzelia xylocarpa
| Afzelia xylocarpa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Makha Seeds (Afzelia xylocarpa), yellow arils removed | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Afzelia |
| Species: | A. xylocarpa |
| Binomial name | |
| Afzelia xylocarpa | |
Afzelia xylocarpa is a tree from Southeast Asia. It grows in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma in deciduous forests. It can reach 30 metres tall with a trunk up to 2 metres in diameter in a mature specimen. An alternative Latin name is Pahudia cochinchinensis.
Uses
The seeds are harvested for medicinal purposes. The seed pulp can be used to make cigarettes, and the bark and seed are used for herbal medicine. The highly figured lumber is often sold as Afzelia Xylay. The wood is used for ornamental woodturning, pens, knife handles, carvings, and musical instruments.
In Cambodia, A. xylocarpa (locally known as Beng) are planted as shading trees due to its wide-ranging branches. At roadsides and waterways the tree provides a good windbarrier and protection from water-driven soil erosion.[2]
Names
The tree has different local names:
- Khmer: បេង [beːŋ]
- Laotian: ຄ່າ [kʰāː]
- Mandarin Chinese: 缅茄 (pinyin: miǎnqié)
- Thai: ~ makha (มะค่า)
- Vietnamese: Gõ đỏ.
References
- ↑ Nghia, N.H. (1998). "Afzelia xylocarpa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ↑ types of trees we plant in Cambodia
External links
- Dorthe Jøker; Danida Forest Seed Centre. "Afzelia xylocarpa (Kurz) Craib" (PDF). Seed leaflet. University of Copenhagen. Retrieved 16 March 2014.