If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Tropical Plants

Fraxinus griffithii

C.B.Clarke

Oleaceae

+ Synonyms

Fraxinus bracteata Hemsl.

Fraxinus eedenii Boerl. & Koord.

Fraxinus floribunda integerrima Wenz.

Fraxinus formosana Hayata

Fraxinus guilinensis S.K.Lee & F.N.Wei

Fraxinus minutepunctata Hayata

Fraxinus philippinensis Merr.

Fraxinus retusa koshunensis K.Mori

Fraxinus sasakii Masam.

Ligustrum vaniotii H.Lév.

Common Name:

Fraxinus griffithii
Flowers and leaves
Photograph by: ?? Shihchuan
Creative Commons License
Fraxinus griffithii Fraxinus griffithii Fraxinus griffithii

General Information

Fraxinus griffithii is a semideciduous tree growing up to 50 metres tall, but only to 20 metres in China. The bole is up to 90cm in diameter[
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.
,
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It was at one time believed to be an opium substitute but, although the smell is similar, it does not contain opiates. It is a natural pioneer species and can be used in reforestation projects, is sometimes grown as a shade tree in coffee plantations and sometimes also as a wayside tree[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Although Fraxinus griffithii is a pioneer species, it does not appear to be common or dominant anywhere in South-East Asia. Because it grows in unstable vegetation types in Malesia, it is likely to be at risk from fire or changing land use[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[
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

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.

Range

E. Asia - China, southern Japan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

A pioneer species, growing on old lava flows, open rain forest or in Casuarina junghuhniana forest at elevations from near sea level to 1,700 metres, more commonly above 1,100 metres[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. To 2,000 metres in China[
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.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitSemi-deciduous Tree
Height20.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Fraxinus griffithii is a plant of warm temperate, subtropical and tropical monsoon climates in eastern Asia, where it can be found from near sea level to 2.000 metres[
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.
,
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves have been used as an opium substitute in Pancur (Besuki, East Java). The leaves were dried, crushed and mixed with tobacco to make cigars wrapped in maize bracts ('klobots'). Although smoking these leaves produced the same smell and taste as second grade opium, it did not have the same effect and it did not lessen opium addiction[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

The bark is taken as a laxative[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

The bark and leaves contain tannin, which causes the bitter taste, as well as a sweet juice that is composed mainly of mannitol and is also found in the European relative Fraxinus ornus L[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The bark also contains the glucosides ligstrocide, syringin and sinapaldehyde glucoside, but no fraxin or fraxin-like coumarins[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The presence of alkaloids has not been demonstrated[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is sometimes grown as a shade tree in coffee plantations[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
It is frequently found as a pioneer species on old lava flows (East Java, the Philippines) or in open rain forest or in Casuarina junghuhniana forest[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Fraxinus species in general are gross feeders with an extensive, fibrous root system, which makes transplanting easy, but means that other species will often not grow well if planted nearby, especially if they are shallow rooted[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
],

Other Uses

The wood is not durable. It is used for carving[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Propagation

The seed is best harvested green - as soon as it is fully developed but before it has fully dried on the tree - and can then be sown immediately in a nursery seedbed[
80
Title
Hardy Woody Plants from Seed.
Publication
 
Author
McMillan-Browse. P.
Publisher
Grower Books
Year
1985
ISBN
0-901361-21-6
Description
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
]. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification and is best sown as soon as possible in a nursery seedbed[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on until large enough to plant out.
The seed lies dormant in the ground for a whole year after falling from the tree, and transplanting from the nursery is therefore better than direct sowing. Seed may be sown as soon as it is ripe in a nursery seedbed, or can be sown after the cold season. In either case it germinates after the following cold season, either seventeen or twelve months later as the case may be. Transplanting is preferably done in the cold season, with seedhngs kept about two seasons in the nursery. During the first season the growth of the seedhng is comparatively slow, but during the second season it is usually faster, a height of 60cm being attainable by the end of the season under favourable conditions, while by the end of the third season a height of 90 - 150cm Is ordinarily attained[
652
Title
The Silviculture of Indian Trees
Publication
 
Author
Troup. R.S.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Oxford, at the Clarendon Press
Year
1921
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent treatment.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Fraxinus+griffithii>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.