Common Name:

General Information

Aglaia elaeagnoidea is an evergreen shrub or small tree, usually growing 5 - 10 metres tall but exceptionally to 20 metres (especially in the west of its range). The bole, which sometimes has small buttresses, is usually up to 25cm in diameter, exceptionally to 50cm[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its timber and its edible fruits, which are eaten locally.
The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, western Pacific.

Habitat

Secondary forest, deciduous forest; growing along beaches, river banks, and in Barringtonia formations on sand, granite, coral and limestone; at elevations from sea level to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland tropics, preferring non-equatorial areas with seasonal climates[]. It is intolerant of frosts[].
Grows well in dappled shade[]. Prefers a moist, humus-rich soil, which must be well-drained[]. Tolerant of salt-laden air[].
The flowers are strongly fragrant[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. An acid flavour[]. The seed is covered with a thin, white, gelatinous flesh (aril) that is sweet and tasty[, ]. The fruit is up to 20mm long and 15mm wide, containing up to 2 seeds[].

Medicinal

In Ayurveda, the fruits are reported to be astringent and cooling. They are recommended in the treatment of inflammations and febrile complaints[].

The seeds are said to be useful in the treatment of painful micturition[].

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 heartwood is red, the sapwood yellow[]. The bright red heartwood is heavy, hard, close-grained, lustrous and handsomely marked[, ]. It is useful for the spokes of wheels[, ].
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 - best sown fresh, it can germinate within a few weeks[].

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