Common Name:

General Information

Schima wallichii is an evergreen, medium-sized to large tree with a dense crown, capable of growing to around 47 metres in height, but more commonly 10 - 15 metres tall[, ]. The bole is cylindrical, branchless for up to 25 metres, with a diameter up to 125 (occasionally 250) cm, and steep buttresses that are rarely up to 1.8 metres high[].
The tree is valued for its wood, which is gathered from the wild and traded. The tree is also used medicinally and is a source of tannins and oil[]. It is sometimes cultivated as a shade tree and is used as a pioneer species in reforestation projects[].

Known Hazards

The bark contains an alkaloid used as a fish poison[].
The inner bark has skin-irritating fibres[].

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

It often occurs gregariously in primary lowland to montane forest, but is particularly common in disturbed and secondary forests, scrub and grassland and even in areas inundated with brackish water[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	35.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of tropical climates where it can be found from low elevations usually up to 2,400 metres, but exceptionally up to 3,900 metres[]. It grows in areas where the mean temperature of the coldest month can be 0 - 5°c, and the hottest month 37 - 45°c[]. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 1,400 - 5,000 mm[].
Succeeds in a wide range of soils[]. It usually prefers well-drained soils but has been observed in swamps and along rivers, and is not choosy about soil texture or fertility[]. Plants can succeed in shade[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7[, ].
Trees may flower and fruit after 4 years. Flowering and fruiting occur throughout the year, but flowers are usually more abundant around the periods when seasons change[].
Survival of planted out seedlings is almost 100%. In peninsular Malaysia, they are planted out at a spacing of 1.8 x 1.2 metres or 3.6 x 1.8 metres; resulting in almost double diameter increments for the wider spacing[].
Early growth is comparatively slow, accelerating later[].
The tree coppices easily[].
The tree is fairly resistant to fire from the age of 5 years, when it can reproduce by coppice shoots[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The astringent corollas are used to treat uterine disorders and hysteria[]. The crude drug is called ‘buah cangkok’ in Indonesia, and ‘changkoh’ in peninsular Malaysia[].

The bark is used as an antiseptic for wounds[].

The sap from the stem is used in the treatment of ear infections[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree has been used as a shade tree in coffee plantations, and as a cover crop in plantations of Pinus merkusii and Agathis dammara[]. In the northeastern regions of India, planting cardamom with this tree are some of the ideal agroforestry systems for conserving soil and water[].
A useful tree for reforestation and planting for water conservation in catchment areas[].
The tree is planted as a pioneer species in northern Thailand in reforestation projects to restore native woodland - it is planted in degraded woodland and open areas in a mix with various other species that all have the ability to grow fast; produce dense, weed-suppressing crowns; and attract seed-dispersing wildlife, particularly birds and bats[].

Other Uses

The bark is a source of tannins and is used for dyeing[].
The leaves also contain tannin but not in quantities large enough for economic[].

The seed contains 19% oil[].

The heartwood is pink-brown, red-brown or grey-brown, but is sometimes dark red-brown; it is not clearly differentiated from the pale grey sapwood[]. The grain is straight or interlocked, frequently irregular; texture moderately fine or fine and even[].The wood is medium-weight to heavy, hard, fairly strong, moderately durable and relatively resistant to dry-wood termites[]. It is easy to work with hand and machine tools and polishes satisfactorily[]. It is used for medium-heavy construction that is under cover, such as columns and beams, for flooring, interior fitting, panelling, door and window frames, joinery, utility furniture, ship and boat building (ribs, decks), vehicle bodies, agricultural implements, pallets, boxes and crates, poles, toys, turnery and, when treated, for railway sleepers. It has been used for bridge building in mountain areas, and young trees have been used as rafters. Good-quality plywood can be manufactured from the wood, and it is suitable for the production of wood-wool boards[].
The wood is suitable for paper pulp[].
The wood is a good firewood. The energy value of the sapwood is about 19 980 kJ/kg[].

Propagation

Seed - germinates freely when sown as soon as it is ripe[]. Pre-soak stored seed for 12 hours in warm water (about body temperature) before sowing[]. Germination rates vary considerably - fresh seeds give about 90% germination in 10 - 12 days, but in some seedlots there has been a germination rate of only 15% in 23 - 85 days[].
Seeds are sown under shade and only lightly covered with soil. Seedling mortality in the nursery is usually about 50%. After 2 - 3 months seedlings are 5 - 8cm tall and can be transplanted from the seedbed to containers; at 6 - 8 months, when they are about 20cm tall, they can be planted out in the field, although stumps may be made of older seedlings[].
Seed storage behaviour is recalcitrant; seeds cannot be stored and are short-lived in open storage at room temperature. Dried fruits or seeds can be stored for up to 3 months, although 1 record in Nepal shows that they can be stored for a long time without problems. There are 196 000-267 000 dry seeds/kg[].

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