Common Name:

General Information

Buchanania arborescens is an evergreen tree growing around 4 - 35 metres tall. The bole is usually around 10 - 75cm in diameter, occasionally to 120cm, sometimes with low, rounded buttresses up to 100cm high, extending up to 200cn from the trunk and 10cm thick[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Buchanania arborescens is common and widespread across a wide range of forest types, its small fruits are well dispersed by birds, and it regenerates easily on disturbed sites. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2021)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, southern Taiwan, Philippines to New Guinea and northern Australia

Habitat

Chiefly in lowland forest, along riverbanks, near the beach, peat-swamps and dryland, sometimes on limestone hills and in secondary forest; at elevations up to 300 metres, rarely to 540 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

When in flower the crown becomes cream-white and very conspicuous[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. The unripe fruits, when boiled, impart an agreeable acidity to the water, and when thus prepared, taste tolerably well. When fully ripe, they become sweet and pulpy, like gooseberries, although their rind is not very thick[].

Medicinal

A poultice made from the pounded leaves has been used for curing head-aches[, ].

The inner bark and the sapwood are pounded between two stones, then soaked in water. The infusion is used as a mouthwash to relieve toothache[]. The liquid should not be swallowed[].
An infusion of the roots can also be used[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Buchanania arborescens is common and widespread across a wide range of forest types, and it regenerates easily on disturbed sites[]. This makes it a good candidate for use as a pioneer in reforestation projects in areas within its native range[].

Other Uses

The bark is a source of tannins[].

The heartwood is pinkish brown, often with a grey tinge, it is not clearly defined from the lighter-coloured sapwood. The texture is rather fine and even, with straight or slightly interlocked grain. The wood is soft to moderately hard and light to moderately heavy, it is non-durable when exposed to the weather and is reported to be rather weak. It is reputed to work easily and planes to a smooth finish. Sawdust may cause dermatitis. The timber seasons well, though boards containing tension wood may distort badly. Shrinkage is moderate to high. The small size of the tree precludes any extensive utilisation of this timber, which has been used for light temporary construction, plywood, match boxes and cheap cigar boxes. Other uses include furniture, light framing, turneries and blockboards[].

Propagation

Seed -

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