Common Name:

General Information

Aquilaria rostrata is an evergreen tree[].
The wood of all members of this genus, when infected with a fungus, becomes a source of agarwood, which is very aromatic and highly valued as an incense, perfume and medicine. The plant also provides a useful fibre.
This poorly known tree is confined to a single location in the State of Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. Although it is only known from type material collected in 1911, given the known threats to other Aquilaria species, it seems highly probable that this species is very threatened. Attempts are required to relocate this species in the wild and to assess its status properly; it may well already be extinct. The fungi-infected heartwood of plants in this genus has a high commercial value and numerous trees are cut down, many of them uninfected by the fungus, in order to harvest just a few kilograms of the diseased wood. The increase in levels of trade over the past decade has resulted in overexploitation throughout the range of the genus. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia (Pahang)

Habitat

Moist lowland forest[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The incense obtained from the wood is aphrodisiac, carminative and sedative. It is used in the treatment of cancer, especially of the thyroid gland, and as a treatment for conditions such as abdominal complaints, colics, diarrhoea and asthma[].

Other Uses

The wood of trees infected with a fungus becomes very aromatic and is a source of agarwood, highly valued as a source of an essential oil[]. The fungi-infected heartwood, characteristic of all members of the genus, has high commercial value for making incense, perfume and traditional medicine[].

Aquilaria species are known to produce a variety of resins in response to trauma or infection by fungi. The resins most commonly impregnate xylem tissue and form a product commonly known as agarwood, aloeswood, eaglewood and paradise wood. Agarwood resins are characterized by a complex mixture of terpenes and chromone derivatives which emit a strong fragrance when heated or burned. Agarwood has thus been exploited for perfumery and is also used in traditional medicine as lignum aquilariae resinatum[]
However, in recent years, increasing global demand, coupled with habitat loss, has led to concerns that unregulated collection of the resin is threatening the survival of agarwood-producing species in the wild[].

Malaysia is one of the top producers of agarwood and its derivatives, including oil, joss sticks and medicine. Agarwood has probably been exported from the Malaysian region since prehistoric times when the first outside traders arrived. The first of these traders are believed to have come from the Indian subcontinent, though today, the main markets for Malaysian agarwood are in the Middle East and East Asia[].

Propagation

Seed -

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