Common Name:

General Information

Aglaia argentea is an evergreen tree with a dense, rounded crown; it can grow up to 30 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be unbranched for up to 18 metres and 60cm in diameter; it has buttresses that are up to 1 metre high, about 1 metre out from the tree and 4cm thick[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and timber. It has potential for use as a pioneer species when restoring native woodland.
The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, northern Australia, Solomon Islands.

Habitat

A subcanopy to canopy tree in primary, secondary and riverine forest, evergreen or semi-evergreen, on granite, basalt, sandstone, coral sand, clay or limestone; at elevations from sea level up to 1,200 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Trees can start flowering and fruiting when 4.5 metres tall[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. Eaten by children[]. The yellow or brown, ovoid fruits are up to 35mm long and 30mm wide, containing 3 seeds. Each seed is completely surrounded by a soft, fleshy, white, sweet or sweet-sour aril[].

Medicinal

The plant (part not specified) is used in the treatment of feverish illnesses and in preparations to treat leprosy[].

The genus 'Aglaia' is the only source of the group of about 50 known representatives of compounds that bear a unique cyclopenta[b]tetrahydrobenzofuran skeleton. These compounds are more commonly called rocaglate or rocaglamide derivatives, or flavaglines, and most have been found to have potent insecticidal properties, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial or anthelmintic bioactivity. Several of them exhibit pronounced cytotoxic activity against a range of human cancers. Since the first representative in this group was only discovered in 1982, this is one of the few recent examples of a completely new class of plant secondary metabolites of biological promise (see B. G. Wang et al., Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 32: 1223-1226. 2004; L.W. Chaidir et al., J. Nat. Prod. 64: 1216-1220. 2001)[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

A good colonizer in regenerating forest[]. This suggests that the plant has potential for use as a pioneer species when restoring native woodland[].

Other Uses

The genus 'Aglaia' is the only source of the group of about 50 known representatives of compounds that bear a unique cyclopenta[b]tetrahydrobenzofuran skeleton. These compounds are more commonly called rocaglate or rocaglamide derivatives, or flavaglines, and most have been found to have potent insecticidal properties, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial or anthelmintic bioactivity. Several of them exhibit pronounced cytotoxic activity against a range of human cancers. Since the first representative in this group was only discovered in 1982, this is one of the few recent examples of a completely new class of plant secondary metabolites of biological promise (see B. G. Wang et al., Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 32: 1223-1226. 2004; L.W. Chaidir et al., J. Nat. Prod. 64: 1216-1220. 2001)[, ].

The timber is not durable[]. A minor timber species in New Guinea[].
We do not have any more specific information on the wood of this species, but the general description of wood from trees in this genus is as follows:-
The heartwood is pale red to deep coppery red; it is clearly but not sharply distinguished from the pinkish or pale red sapwood. The texture is fine and dense; the grain often distinctly crossed and generally wavy, forming a regular diagonal wavy ribbon on radial sections; on tangential sections, an irregular, curly figure, marked with characteristic fine zigzag lines; most species have a distinct, even pungent, aromatic odour resembling both cedar and camphor. The wood is hard to very hard; heavy to very heavy; durable, the heartwood rarely if ever being attacked by termites, nor even the sapwood by beetles. It seasons well. It can be rather difficult to work, the curly and wavy grain requiring a very sharp and fine-set plane to surface it well; it can, however, take a very smooth surface under sharp tools. An attractive, strong and durable wood, individual species rarely come into the market, except in occasional very small lots. They are often well known locally for their strength and durability, being favourites for house posts, beams, window sills, windows, agricultural implements, etc. When available in sufficient size, the wood is suitable for a wide range of uses, including posts; ties; bridge and wharf building; beams, joists, rafters; flooring; sheathing and ceiling; fine furniture and cabinetwork[].

Propagation

Seed -

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