Common Name: Blue Marble Tree

General Information

Elaeocarpus angustifolius is an evergreen tree with a thin, open canopy that can grow up to 35 metres tall but is usually smaller[, ]. The bole is prominently buttressed, even in small trees, and can be 20 - 200cm in diameter[, , ]. The buttresses are thin, but can extend for up to 6 metres from the tree[].
A sacred tree in India, where its seeds are commonly used as beads to make rosaries, the seeds are also used for buttons etc. The tree is also commonly harvested for its wood, whilst it also has minor medicinal and edible uses[, ]. The plant is sometimes cultivated, and is also grown as an ornamental[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar through Malaysia, Cambodia to Australia and the Pacific

Habitat

Open places at elevations of 600 - 1,100 metres in Nepal[]. Broad-leaved mountain and valley rain forests at elevations of 400 - 1,300 metres[]. Common in secondary forest and persisting in mature regrowth[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist lowland tropics and subtropics, where it is found at elevations up to 500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 28°c, but can tolerate 8 - 38°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 3,500mm[].
Prefers a position in full sun but tolerates some shade[]. Prefers a fertile, humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[].
One of the fastest-growing species in the Australian rainforest[].
The fruits of this species are a brilliant, iridescent blue-a colour produced not by anthocyanin pigments as in other blue fruits, but by physical interference. In the epidermal cells of the fruits, cellulose layers form a special structure outside the cell membrane but inside the cell wall. The layers create constructive thin-film interference with blue light (thus reflecting the blue colour)[].
The trees are sometimes partially ring-barked. This results in the tree producing smaller than normal seeds - these smaller seeds are more highly valued for decorative purposes that the usual sized seeds[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The thin layer of pulp round the seeds of ripe fruits is edible[]. It can be eaten out of hand, or the flesh can be removed and mixed with water to make a paste[]. The bright blue, globular fruits are around 15 - 23mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The seeds are valued as a remedy for blood pressure and heart ailments[].

The fruit is used in the treatment of diseases of the head and epileptic fits[].

The leaf sap is used to cure stomach-ache or pain in the chest and shoulders[].

In the Philippines, there is one record of the bark being applied to treat an enlarged spleen[].

Agroforestry Uses:

This species has potential for use in re-establishing rainforest and also for use in larger permaculture projects. It is very fast growing; establishes itself well in open, disturbed locations; has a light, open crown that allows other plants to establish; and a variety of uses[, ]. Its main disadvantage are its wide-ranging buttress roots that can extend several metres from the tree[].

Other Uses

The hard seeds are made into a variety of commodities such as beads for rosaries, hatpins, buttons etc[, , ]. They are used as sacred beads, known as 'rudraksha' in India[].

The heartwood is light-yellowish white to pink-brown, it is not distinctly demarcated from the up to 10cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is moderately fine and even to coarse, with straight to shallowly interlocked grain. The wood is soft to moderately hard; light in weight to moderately heavy; weak; not very durable. It seasons fairly slowly with slight end and surface checking; shrinkage is fairly low. It is easy to resaw and cross-cut; planing is easy and leaves a moderately smooth finish; nailing properties are good; it is easy to glue and stain. A general purpose wood that is very suitable for bent work; it is suitable for purposes such as general planking, shuttering, boxes, crates, wooden pallets, boat planking, racing oars, match splints, veneer and plywood[, ]. A useful, soft, lightweight carving timber, also suitable for barrels (cooperage)[].

Propagation

The seed of most species in this genus is covered by a hard, woody shell and can be very slow and erratic to germinate, sometimes taking 2 years or more. Filing down the shell, or cracking it (being very careful not to damage the seed) in order to allow the ingress of moisture can help to greatly speed up germination. Sow the seed in containers in light shade. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out,
Cuttings of almost ripe shoots, in a sandy soil in a frame. The leaves should be left on the stem.[, ]. Many species strike readily from cuttings.

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