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Useful Tropical Plants

Scaphium affine

(Mast.) Pierre

Malvaceae


This species has often been treated as no more than a synonym of Scaphium macropodum (Miq.) Beumée ex K.Heyne. However, we are following the treatment in 'Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand'[
905
Title
Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand
Publication
Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 36: 61 - 69
Author
Phonsena P. & Wilkie P.
Publisher
The Forest Herbarium; Bangkok.
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A short article in a botanical magazine describing Scaphium affine as a distinct species found in Thailand. It can be down loaded from the Internet
] which views them as two distinct, but closely related, species[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

+ Synonyms

Clompanus affinis (Mast.) Kuntze

Firmiana affinis (Mast.) A.Terracc.

Firmiana lychnophora (Hance) K.Schum.

Scaphium beccarianum Pierre

Scaphium lychnophorum (Hance) Pierre

Sterculia affinis Mast.

Sterculia beccariana Pierre

Sterculia lychnophora Hance

Common Name:

Scaphium affine

General Information

Scaphium affine is an evergreen tree with a conical to rounded crown; it can grow from 18 - 40 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 80cm in diameter with thick buttresses up to 2 metres high[
905
Title
Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand
Publication
Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 36: 61 - 69
Author
Phonsena P. & Wilkie P.
Publisher
The Forest Herbarium; Bangkok.
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A short article in a botanical magazine describing Scaphium affine as a distinct species found in Thailand. It can be down loaded from the Internet
,
906
Title
Timber Notes - Light Hardwoods VI (Dedali, Kedondong, Kelempayan, Kelumpang, Kembang Semangkok)
Publication
Timber Technology Bulletin No. 16
Author
Choo K.T.; Gan S.; Lin S.C.
Publisher
Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur
Year
1999
ISBN
139-258
Description
Part of an excellent series of publications, this one giving a brief guide to five lesser known groups of heavy hardwoods from southeast Asia. It is available in PDF format on the Internet.
].
The seeds are commonly harvested from the wild to make a popular drink and for medicinal purposes. The wood is a source of 'kembang semangkok' timber and is harvested from the wild for local use and for trade.
This species has been heavily exploited, and trees only flower every 1 - 3 years. Hence the number of mature trees is very low. It is often found in protected areas and conserved in some concession areas, but it is threatened by the destructive practice of chopping down the tree to collect the fruit[
614
Title
Cambodiam Tree Species - Monographs.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.treeseedfa.org/
Publisher
Cambodia Tree Seed Project
Year
2004
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on 21 species of Cambodian trees. It is available as a PDF file, available as a download from the Internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

905
Title
Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand
Publication
Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 36: 61 - 69
Author
Phonsena P. & Wilkie P.
Publisher
The Forest Herbarium; Bangkok.
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A short article in a botanical magazine describing Scaphium affine as a distinct species found in Thailand. It can be down loaded from the Internet

Range

Southeast Asia - Thailand, Cambodia, Laos.

Habitat

Usually found growing along rivers or in transitional areas between swampy wetlands and dry loamy areas, which are flooded for short periods, in deciduous lowland forests at elevations between 700 - 800 metres[
404
Title
Digital Compendium of Forestry Species of Cambodia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.digitalspecies.blogspot.com
Publisher
www.digitalspecies.blogspot.com; Phnom Penh
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A very detailed booklet, produced in PDF format on the internet, giving information on around 100 species of trees.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height30.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moderate elevations in the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 800 metres[
404
Title
Digital Compendium of Forestry Species of Cambodia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.digitalspecies.blogspot.com
Publisher
www.digitalspecies.blogspot.com; Phnom Penh
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A very detailed booklet, produced in PDF format on the internet, giving information on around 100 species of trees.
,
905
Title
Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand
Publication
Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 36: 61 - 69
Author
Phonsena P. & Wilkie P.
Publisher
The Forest Herbarium; Bangkok.
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A short article in a botanical magazine describing Scaphium affine as a distinct species found in Thailand. It can be down loaded from the Internet
]. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 1,500 -2,500 mm[
404
Title
Digital Compendium of Forestry Species of Cambodia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.digitalspecies.blogspot.com
Publisher
www.digitalspecies.blogspot.com; Phnom Penh
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A very detailed booklet, produced in PDF format on the internet, giving information on around 100 species of trees.
].
Requires a shady position[
614
Title
Cambodiam Tree Species - Monographs.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.treeseedfa.org/
Publisher
Cambodia Tree Seed Project
Year
2004
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on 21 species of Cambodian trees. It is available as a PDF file, available as a download from the Internet.
]. Grows best in a fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered position[
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.
].

Edible Uses

The seeds, when soaked in water, swell up to 8 times their original volume to yield a transparent, mucilaginous gel[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
,
614
Title
Cambodiam Tree Species - Monographs.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.treeseedfa.org/
Publisher
Cambodia Tree Seed Project
Year
2004
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on 21 species of Cambodian trees. It is available as a PDF file, available as a download from the Internet.
]. This is removed from the seeds, mixed with the soaked seeds of basil (Ocimum spp.) and made into a refreshing drink[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
614
Title
Cambodiam Tree Species - Monographs.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.treeseedfa.org/
Publisher
Cambodia Tree Seed Project
Year
2004
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on 21 species of Cambodian trees. It is available as a PDF file, available as a download from the Internet.
].

Medicinal

When soaked in water, the seed yields a copious mucilage. This is used as medicines to treat complaints such as diarrhoea, dysentery and asthma[
905
Title
Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand
Publication
Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 36: 61 - 69
Author
Phonsena P. & Wilkie P.
Publisher
The Forest Herbarium; Bangkok.
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A short article in a botanical magazine describing Scaphium affine as a distinct species found in Thailand. It can be down loaded from the Internet
]. It probably works by coating the affected area in a soothing, healing mucilage and thus giving it an opportunity to recover[
178
Title
Chinese Materia Medica.
Publication
 
Author
Stuart. Rev. G. A.
Publisher
Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
Year
1911
ISBN
-
Description
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
].

Other Uses

The wood is a source of 'kembang semangkok' timber. We have no specific information on the wood of this species, but the following is a general description of kembang semangkok wood:-
The heartwood is light yellow to light brown, with a large silver figure; it is not demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or shallowly interlocked. The wood is moderately heavy; moderately hard; somewhat resistant to fungi but susceptible to dry wood borers. It seasons fairly rapidly, with very little risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable to stable in service. It has a high blunting effect, so stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good; gluing is correct. The wood is used in construction, for joinery and panelling, furniture components, boxes and crates, flooring, matches, plywood, veneer etc[
614
Title
Cambodiam Tree Species - Monographs.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.treeseedfa.org/
Publisher
Cambodia Tree Seed Project
Year
2004
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on 21 species of Cambodian trees. It is available as a PDF file, available as a download from the Internet.
,
848
Title
Tropix 7
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://tropix.cirad.fr/en
Publisher
CIRAD
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line guide to the timbers of 245 species of trees.
,
905
Title
Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand
Publication
Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 36: 61 - 69
Author
Phonsena P. & Wilkie P.
Publisher
The Forest Herbarium; Bangkok.
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A short article in a botanical magazine describing Scaphium affine as a distinct species found in Thailand. It can be down loaded from the Internet
,
906
Title
Timber Notes - Light Hardwoods VI (Dedali, Kedondong, Kelempayan, Kelumpang, Kembang Semangkok)
Publication
Timber Technology Bulletin No. 16
Author
Choo K.T.; Gan S.; Lin S.C.
Publisher
Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur
Year
1999
ISBN
139-258
Description
Part of an excellent series of publications, this one giving a brief guide to five lesser known groups of heavy hardwoods from southeast Asia. It is available in PDF format on the Internet.
].
The wood is used for fuel[
614
Title
Cambodiam Tree Species - Monographs.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.treeseedfa.org/
Publisher
Cambodia Tree Seed Project
Year
2004
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on 21 species of Cambodian trees. It is available as a PDF file, available as a download from the Internet.
].

Propagation

A physical dormancy caused by the hard seed coat of the mature seeds of many species in this genus can be overcome by scarifying the seed. This is carried out by cutting away or abrading some of the seed coat to allow the ingress of water, though great care must be taken not to damage the embryo[
325
Title
Seed Leaflets
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://en.sl.life.ku.dk/Publikationer/Udgivelser/PopulaerPublikationer.aspx?katid={D28373CC-6EF3-4EF8-B097-6D83FABF209E}&serieid={9F1C3DB1-6E7B-4CF1-AF53-F480B0CB40EF}&sort=title
Publisher
Forest & Landscape. Denmark
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of leaflets, jointly produced by the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, focussing on seed information for a number species, but also giving a lot of other information about each plant.
]. The aril surrounding the seed should also be removed - this is easiest when it has been softened through soaking in water[
325
Title
Seed Leaflets
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://en.sl.life.ku.dk/Publikationer/Udgivelser/PopulaerPublikationer.aspx?katid={D28373CC-6EF3-4EF8-B097-6D83FABF209E}&serieid={9F1C3DB1-6E7B-4CF1-AF53-F480B0CB40EF}&sort=title
Publisher
Forest & Landscape. Denmark
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of leaflets, jointly produced by the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, focussing on seed information for a number species, but also giving a lot of other information about each plant.
]. The seeds germinate optimally at temperatures between 20 - 30°c. They can be sown in a nursery seedbed or in containers. A germination rate of about 95%, occurring within about 2 weeks can be expected if the seed has been properly treated[
325
Title
Seed Leaflets
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://en.sl.life.ku.dk/Publikationer/Udgivelser/PopulaerPublikationer.aspx?katid={D28373CC-6EF3-4EF8-B097-6D83FABF209E}&serieid={9F1C3DB1-6E7B-4CF1-AF53-F480B0CB40EF}&sort=title
Publisher
Forest & Landscape. Denmark
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of leaflets, jointly produced by the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, focussing on seed information for a number species, but also giving a lot of other information about each plant.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Scaphium+affine>

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