There is no general agreement over the correct naming for this genus or the species within the genus. We are using the generic name Neolamarckia as per the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, although some other authorities use the generic name Anthocephalus.
In addition, again as per the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, we are recognising two distinct species in the genus (Neolamarckia cadamba and Neolamarckia macrophylla) although some other treatments combine the two species under Neolamarckia cadamba.

Common Name: Amboina

General Information

Amboina is a large, ornamental tree with a broad, umbrella-shaped crown that can reach a height of 45 metres. It has a straight, cylindrical bole, sometimes with buttresses, that can have a diameter of 100cm, exceptionally to 160cm[].
Amboina is becoming one of the most frequently planted trees in the tropics where it is often grown along avenues, roadsides and in villages both for ornament and to provide shade[]. The tree is highly regarded religiously and culturally in India, Java and Malaysia, it is considered sacred to the Lord Krishna[]. It is a favoured plantation species, both inside and outside its native range[]

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Indian subcontinent, China, Malaysia through Indo-China to Australia.

Habitat

An early-succession species, it grows best on deep, moist, alluvial sites, often in secondary forests along riverbanks and in the transitional zone between swampy, permanently flooded and periodically flooded areas[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	45.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moister tropics, it grows well at an altitude range of 300 - 800 metres[]. It prefers a mean annual temperature of around 23°c and is sensitive to frost[]. It grows best with a mean annual rainfall of around 1,600mm or more, but can tolerate dry areas with as little as 200mm of rain[, ].
Prefers well drained entisols[]. It does not grow well on leached and poorly aerated soils[]. Older trees require good light conditions, the saplings, however, require the protection of some shade from the hot sun[]. Trees are sensitive to frost, drought and excessive moisture[]. Trees can tolerate periodic flooding[].
Young trees usually grow fast for the first 6 - 8 years, commencing flowering around the age of 4 years[]. When grown for timber, they are usually felled at around the age of 10 - 15 years[].
The tree coppices well[].
The fragrant orange flowers attract insect pollinators[].

Edible Uses

The fruit and inflorescences are reportedly edible[].

Medicinal

The dried bark is used to relieve fever and as a tonic[].

An extract of the leaves serves as a mouth gargle[].

The plant is considered to be astringent, digestive, expectorant and febrifuge. It is used in the treatment of conditions such as ulcers, digestive problems, fevers and vomiting[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Amboina is a typical pioneer species in its natural range and is suitable for reforestation programmes[, ].
It is fast growing and suitable for reforestation in watersheds and eroded areas and for windbreaks in agroforestry systems. It is also excellent as a shade tree for dipterocarp line planting[]
Trees shed large amounts of leaf and non-leaf litter, which on decomposition improve some physical and chemical properties of the soil under their canopy. This reflects in increases in the level of soil organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, available plant nutrients and exchangeable bases[].

Other Uses

The fresh leaves are sometimes used as serviettes or plates[].

A yellow dye can be obtained from the root bark[].

The flowers are the source of an essential oil[]. They are an important raw material in the production of ‘attar’, which are Indian perfumes with sandalwood (Santalum spp.) base in which one of the essences is absorbed through hydro-distillation[].

Extracts of the flowers exhibit nematicidal effects on Meloidogyne incognita[].

The wood is white with a light yellow tinge becoming creamy yellow on exposure; the sapwood is not clearly differentiated from the heartwood[]. The wood has a density of 290-560 kg/cu m at 15% moisture content, a fine to medium texture; straight grain; low lustre and has no characteristic odour or taste. It is easy to work with hand and machine tools, cuts cleanly, gives a very good surface and is easy to nail. However, the wood is rated as non-durable, graveyard tests in Indonesia show an average life in contact with the ground of less than 1.5 years. The timber air dries rapidly with little or no degrade. The wood is very easy to preserve using either open tank or pressure-vacuum systems. The timber is used for plywood, light construction, pulp and paper, boxes and crates, dug-out canoes, and furniture components. The tree yields a pulp of satisfactory brightness and performance as a handsheet. The wood can be easily impregnated with synthetic resins to increase its density and compressive strength[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a nursery - direct sowing is not very successful because of the small-sized seeds and the their sensitivity to drought, excessive moisture and direct sun[]. The epigeous germination begins in about 10 - 14 days in the rainy season[]. When the seedlings are 8 - 12 weeks old, they are transplanted to nursery beds or plastic bags. It is recommended to use a medium that is enriched with organic matter[].
After 6 - 7 months, when the seedlings are about 30cm tall, they are ready for transplanting into the field. They can be planted bare-rooted with little loss in survival rate[].
The young seedlings are highly susceptible to weeds and should be weeded regularly. 2-month seedlings can be transplanted in nursery beds or into polythene bags, where they can be retained before planting at the start of the monsoon rains. To ensure successful establishment, seedlings should be planted out with their balls of earth[].
Successful extraction of seed from ripe fruits involves air drying, crushing, and sieving through a No. 35 US Standard sieve to separate seed from chaff[]. The fruits are first soaked in the open until rotted, then ground by hand into a thick slurry, air dried, and passed through a series of sieves terminating with a No. 35. This procedure improves seed purity up to 98%, and germination success[].
Air layering.

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