Common Name: Java Cedar

General Information

Bischofia javanica is a fast-growing, medium to fairly large, usually deciduous tree with a dense, rounded crown; it can range in size from 12 - 50 metres tall[]. The stout, straight and cylindrical bole can be up to 150cm in diameter[].
Harvested from the wild for local use and trade, especially for its timber, the tree is also often grown in plantations, is used in reforestation projects, and is planted as an ornamental and to provide shade in several parts of the tropics[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - China, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, to New Guinea, Australia and the south Pacific.

Habitat

Scattered in primary and old secondary dry and deciduous forest or monsoon forest but also in evergreen forest, swamp and teak forest, sometimes in more open places like savannah tracts, especially on riverbanks and shady ravines[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Java cedar grows mainly in areas of the tropics and subtropics with a distinct dry season, being found at elevations from sea level to 1,800 metres[].
Prefers a position in full sun, though seedlings and young trees are more shade tolerant[, ]. Prefers deep loose soils, such as sandy, rocky or loamy soils, with sufficient water content[]. Established plants are moderately drought tolerant[]. Plants are moderately tolerant of salt-laden winds[].
The plant has escaped from cultivation in southern USA, where it has become a weed[].
Plants commence flowering annually from around the age of 8 years[]. Although generally only flowering once a year, the fruits can hang well and, in some areas, can be available all year round[].
Trees respond well to coppicing and pollarding[].
The tree generally survives forest fires[].
The plant does have rather brittle wood, which can break off in windy conditions[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required[].

Edible Uses

Young soft leaves - raw or cooked[, ]. Eaten as a vegetable[]. Eaten in salads or used as a condiment[].

Seeds[].

Fruits[]. The brown, reddish, or blue-black fruit is fleshy, around the size of a pea and in three segments[].

Medicinal

The plant has been shown has been shown to have antiulcer, anthelmintic and antidysenteric activities[].

The fresh bark is used to treat aching stomachs[].
The sap of the bark, mixed with lime, is used to treat sore feet[].

The leaves and the young shoots are an effective treatment for leucorrhoea. vulvovaginitis due to Trichomonas vaginalis. boils and impetigo. An extract is used as unguent and a decoction is prescribed for external application[]. A decoction of the dried leaves is an efective treatment for diarrhoea. in a dose of 20 to 40g per day, it is also used in the treatment of gingivitis. toothache. cough and sore throat[].
The crushed leaves are rubbed onto an aching stomach[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is used for reforestation and is often intercropped in traditional agriculture[]. In India, it is considered to be an excellent shade tree in coffee and cardamom plantations[].
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

A red dye obtained from the bark is used to stain rattan baskets[, ].
A brown dye obtained from the inner bark is used to colour tapa bark cloth[].

The bark contains about 16 % tannin that is employed in the toughening of nets and ropes[].

The heartwood is purplish-brown to reddish-brown and is sharply differentiated from the narrow, pale brown to pale reddish-brown sapwood. The wood is medium-weight and moderately hard. The grain is generally interlocked; texture moderately fine to rather coarse and even; wood surface dull to slightly glossy. Fresh wood smells of vinegar. The wood is susceptible to Lyctus and dry-wood termite attack, longhorn and ambrosia beetles as well as wood-rotting fungi[]. The wood is used for general construction (beams, posts), bridges, decking, sleepers, mining props, flooring, interior finish, veneer, plywood, implements, carving etc[, ]. The tree is a potential source of long fibres for pulp and paper production[].
Although the wood is not suitable as a fuel wood, it is used for charcoal production[].

Propagation

Seed may be sown under shade or in full sunlight, provided water is adequate. Young plants need plenty of water, therefore direct sowing in the field is not appropriate. Germination starts 1 - 3 weeks after sowing and after 5 - 6 weeks about 70 % of the seed have germinated[].
Seed storage behaviour is uncertain, viability has been maintained for 3 months in open storage at room temperature, after which it is reduced. Seed may be collected in large quantities and can be stored for up to 6 months[].
Stem cuttings[].

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