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Useful Tropical Plants

Aglaia cucullata

(Roxb.) Pellegr.

Meliaceae

+ Synonyms

Aglaia tripetala Merr.

Amoora aherniana Merr.

Amoora auriculata Miq.

Amoora conduplifolia Elmer

Amoora cucullata Roxb.

Amoora laxa Wight & Arn.

Andersonia cucullata Roxb.

Aphanamixis cucullata (Roxb.) M.R.Almeida

Buchanania paniculata Roxb. ex Steud.

Buchanania spicata Roxb. ex Wall.

Sphaerosacme laxa Wall.

Sphaerosacme paniculata Wall. ex Miq.

Sphaerosacme rohituka Wall.

Common Name:

Aglaia cucullata
Drawing of the leaves, flowers, fruits and seed
Photograph by: Roxburgh, W., Plants of the coast of Coromandel, vol. 3: t. 258 (1819)
Creative Commons License
Aglaia cucullata Aglaia cucullata

General Information

Aglaia cucullata is a tree with a broad, rounded crown of arching branches; it usually grows up to 15 metres tall, occasionally to 30 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for up to 10 metres and up to 100cm in diameter, sometimes with plank buttresses up to 3 metres high and sometimes with pneumatophores up to 7 metres away from the bole and up to 60cm high[
930
Title
A Taxonomic Monograph of the Genus Aglaia Lour. (Meliaceae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin Additional Series XVI
Author
Pannell C.M.
Publisher
HMSO; London
Year
1992
ISBN
0-11-250067-6
Description
A comprehensive treatment of the genus Aglaia, including the genus Amoora. Very good plant descriptions, it also gives some plant uses, details of habitat, range etc.
].
The tree provides an important heavy timber that is harvested from the wild and much used locally for purposes such as construction and boat building[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
]. The wood is traded in quantity in New Guinea as 'Amoora' timber[
388
Title
Guide to the Trees of Papua New Guinea
Publication
 
Author
Conn. B.J. & Damas. K.Q.
Website
http://www.pngplants.org/PNGtrees/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site giving good descriptions of the trees of Papua New Guinea.
].
The plant is classified as 'Data Deficient' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

930
Title
A Taxonomic Monograph of the Genus Aglaia Lour. (Meliaceae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin Additional Series XVI
Author
Pannell C.M.
Publisher
HMSO; London
Year
1992
ISBN
0-11-250067-6
Description
A comprehensive treatment of the genus Aglaia, including the genus Amoora. Very good plant descriptions, it also gives some plant uses, details of habitat, range etc.

Range

E. Asia - Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea.

Habitat

An understorey tree in riverine forests, tidal esturies, mangrove swamps, nipah swamps; at elevations up to 20 metres[
930
Title
A Taxonomic Monograph of the Genus Aglaia Lour. (Meliaceae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin Additional Series XVI
Author
Pannell C.M.
Publisher
HMSO; London
Year
1992
ISBN
0-11-250067-6
Description
A comprehensive treatment of the genus Aglaia, including the genus Amoora. Very good plant descriptions, it also gives some plant uses, details of habitat, range etc.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusData Deficient
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitTree
Height12.00 m
PollinatorsInsects
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



The pouch at the base of the terminal leaflet is sometimes occupied by ants[
930
Title
A Taxonomic Monograph of the Genus Aglaia Lour. (Meliaceae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin Additional Series XVI
Author
Pannell C.M.
Publisher
HMSO; London
Year
1992
ISBN
0-11-250067-6
Description
A comprehensive treatment of the genus Aglaia, including the genus Amoora. Very good plant descriptions, it also gives some plant uses, details of habitat, range etc.
].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
930
Title
A Taxonomic Monograph of the Genus Aglaia Lour. (Meliaceae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin Additional Series XVI
Author
Pannell C.M.
Publisher
HMSO; London
Year
1992
ISBN
0-11-250067-6
Description
A comprehensive treatment of the genus Aglaia, including the genus Amoora. Very good plant descriptions, it also gives some plant uses, details of habitat, range etc.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The genus 'Aglaia' is the only source of the group of about 50 known representatives of compounds that bear a unique cyclopenta[b]tetrahydrobenzofuran skeleton. These compounds are more commonly called rocaglate or rocaglamide derivatives, or flavaglines, and most have been found to have potent insecticidal properties, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial or anthelmintic bioactivity. Several of them exhibit pronounced cytotoxic activity against a range of human cancers. Since the first representative in this group was only discovered in 1982, this is one of the few recent examples of a completely new class of plant secondary metabolites of biological promise (see B. G. Wang et al., Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 32: 1223-1226. 2004; L.W. Chaidir et al., J. Nat. Prod. 64: 1216-1220. 2001)[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
899
Title
Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1 - 6
Publication
 
Author
Soepadmo E.; Saw L.G.; Chung R.C.K. (Editors)
Publisher
Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur.
Year
2002
ISBN
983-2181-27-5
Description
A flora of the woody plants of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, often giving details of plant uses.
].

Other Uses

The genus 'Aglaia' is the only source of the group of about 50 known representatives of compounds that bear a unique cyclopenta[b]tetrahydrobenzofuran skeleton. These compounds are more commonly called rocaglate or rocaglamide derivatives, or flavaglines, and most have been found to have potent insecticidal properties, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial or anthelmintic bioactivity. Several of them exhibit pronounced cytotoxic activity against a range of human cancers. Since the first representative in this group was only discovered in 1982, this is one of the few recent examples of a completely new class of plant secondary metabolites of biological promise (see B. G. Wang et al., Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 32: 1223-1226. 2004; L.W. Chaidir et al., J. Nat. Prod. 64: 1216-1220. 2001)[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
899
Title
Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1 - 6
Publication
 
Author
Soepadmo E.; Saw L.G.; Chung R.C.K. (Editors)
Publisher
Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur.
Year
2002
ISBN
983-2181-27-5
Description
A flora of the woody plants of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, often giving details of plant uses.
].

The wood is an important heavy timber that can be used for the construction of houses and bridges, and for building boats[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
899
Title
Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1 - 6
Publication
 
Author
Soepadmo E.; Saw L.G.; Chung R.C.K. (Editors)
Publisher
Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur.
Year
2002
ISBN
983-2181-27-5
Description
A flora of the woody plants of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, often giving details of plant uses.
,
930
Title
A Taxonomic Monograph of the Genus Aglaia Lour. (Meliaceae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin Additional Series XVI
Author
Pannell C.M.
Publisher
HMSO; London
Year
1992
ISBN
0-11-250067-6
Description
A comprehensive treatment of the genus Aglaia, including the genus Amoora. Very good plant descriptions, it also gives some plant uses, details of habitat, range etc.
].
We do not have any more specific information on the wood of this species, but it is traded as 'Amoora' timber[
388
Title
Guide to the Trees of Papua New Guinea
Publication
 
Author
Conn. B.J. & Damas. K.Q.
Website
http://www.pngplants.org/PNGtrees/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An Internet site giving good descriptions of the trees of Papua New Guinea.
]. The general description of amoora timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is light to dark red, red brown or walnut brown; it is sharply defined from the straw to pinkish-coloured sapwood. The texture is mostly medium to coarse; the grain straight to somewhat interlocked; lustre is variable; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The wood is generally reported to be moderately durable when exposed to the weather or in contact with the ground. It is reported to be easy to air season, even in wide boards. It saws and works well with both hand and machine tools; turns easily; takes a smooth finish. It can be used for purposes such as furniture and cabinetwork, flooring, construction, joinery, turnery, veneer and plywood[
316
Title
Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607.
Publication
 
Author
Chudnoff. Martin.
Publisher
USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin.
Year
1984
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aglaia+cucullata>

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