Common Name:

General Information

Aglaia tomentosa is usually a small, evergreen tree with an irregularly rounded crown; it usually grows up to 15 metres tall and exceptionally to 23 metres. The bole can be free of branches for up to 9 metres in taller specimens and up to 20cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is sometimes gathered from the wild for its timber and edible fruit, which are used locally.
The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - southern India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, northern Australia.

Habitat

An understorey tree in evergreen, primary, secondary, riverine, montane and ridge forests; sometimes periodically inundated; on sandstone, alluvial, granite, limestone, sand, loam, laterite, clay; from sea level to 2,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best if given dappled shade. Prefers a humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in a position shelered from strong winds[]. Plants are tolerant of temporary inundation of the soil[, ].
The flowers are small and fragrant[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The acidic-tasting, gelatinous, translucent covering (aril) around the seed is eaten[]. It lacks flavour[]. The fruit is up to 25mm long x 17mm in diameter, containing up to two seeds[].

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)[, ].

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)[, ].

The sapwood is pale brown or pinkish-brown[]. The wood is used in house building, but is not durable if exposed to the weather[, ].

Propagation

Seed - germinates easily if it is removed from the fruit flesh and sown whilst still fresh[].

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