Common Name:

General Information

Aglaia cucullata is a tree with a broad, rounded crown of arching branches; it usually grows up to 15 metres tall, occasionally to 30 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for up to 10 metres and up to 100cm in diameter, sometimes with plank buttresses up to 3 metres high and sometimes with pneumatophores up to 7 metres away from the bole and up to 60cm high[].
The tree provides an important heavy timber that is harvested from the wild and much used locally for purposes such as construction and boat building[]. The wood is traded in quantity in New Guinea as 'Amoora' timber[].
The plant is classified as 'Data Deficient' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea.

Habitat

An understorey tree in riverine forests, tidal esturies, mangrove swamps, nipah swamps; at elevations up to 20 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Data Deficient
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	12.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The pouch at the base of the terminal leaflet is sometimes occupied by ants[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

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)[, ].

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 wood is an important heavy timber that can be used for the construction of houses and bridges, and for building boats[, , ].
We do not have any more specific information on the wood of this species, but it is traded as 'Amoora' timber[]. The general description of amoora timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is light to dark red, red brown or walnut brown; it is sharply defined from the straw to pinkish-coloured sapwood. The texture is mostly medium to coarse; the grain straight to somewhat interlocked; lustre is variable; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The wood is generally reported to be moderately durable when exposed to the weather or in contact with the ground. It is reported to be easy to air season, even in wide boards. It saws and works well with both hand and machine tools; turns easily; takes a smooth finish. It can be used for purposes such as furniture and cabinetwork, flooring, construction, joinery, turnery, veneer and plywood[].

Propagation

Seed -

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