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Useful Tropical Plants

Scaphium scaphigerum

(Wall. ex G.Don) Guibourt & Planch.

Malvaceae

+ Synonyms

Clompanus scaphigera (Wall. ex G.Don) Kuntze

Scaphium wallichii (Wall. ex G.Don) Schott & Endl.

Sterculia scaphigera Wall. ex G.Don

Common Name:

Scaphium scaphigerum
Drawing of the leaves and developing fruits
Photograph by: Pierre, L., Flore forestiere de la Cochinchine, vol. 3: t. 201 (1884-1895) [E. Delpy]
Creative Commons License

General Information

Scaphium scaphigerum is an evergreen tree growing up to 45 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 150cm in diameter, with buttresses up to 7 metres high[
334
Title
Flora of Peninsula Malaysia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.tfbc.frim.gov.my
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
In the process of being assembled (15/07/09), it is currently a series of check sheets giving species name, brief description, habitat and high quality photos of the plants.
,
905
Title
Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand
Publication
Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 36: 61 - 69
Author
Phonsena P. & Wilkie P.
Publisher
The Forest Herbarium; Bangkok.
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A short article in a botanical magazine describing Scaphium affine as a distinct species found in Thailand. It can be down loaded from the Internet
].
The seeds are commonly harvested from the wild to make a drink that is very popular in China and Thailand, and also for medicinal purposes. The wood is a source of 'kembang semangkok' timber and is harvested from the wild for local use and for trade.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

E. Asia - Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos.

Habitat

Evergreen lowland forest at elevations from 80 - 700 metres[
334
Title
Flora of Peninsula Malaysia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.tfbc.frim.gov.my
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
In the process of being assembled (15/07/09), it is currently a series of check sheets giving species name, brief description, habitat and high quality photos of the plants.
,
905
Title
Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand
Publication
Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 36: 61 - 69
Author
Phonsena P. & Wilkie P.
Publisher
The Forest Herbarium; Bangkok.
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A short article in a botanical magazine describing Scaphium affine as a distinct species found in Thailand. It can be down loaded from the Internet
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height30.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics where it can be found at elevations up to 700 metres. It grows in areas with a pronounced dry season[
906
Title
Timber Notes - Light Hardwoods VI (Dedali, Kedondong, Kelempayan, Kelumpang, Kembang Semangkok)
Publication
Timber Technology Bulletin No. 16
Author
Choo K.T.; Gan S.; Lin S.C.
Publisher
Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur
Year
1999
ISBN
139-258
Description
Part of an excellent series of publications, this one giving a brief guide to five lesser known groups of heavy hardwoods from southeast Asia. It is available in PDF format on the Internet.
].

Edible Uses

The seed, when soaked in water, produces a gelatinous mass. Although virtually tasteless, it is used to make a popular drink in Thailand and China, usually with the addition of sugar and soaked basil seeds[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. The seeds are 18 - 35mm long, surrounded by a thin pericarp about 2mm wide - this is the part that swells and increases enormously in size when soaked in water[
615
Title
Pharmacographia Indica
Publication
 
Author
Dymock W.; Warden C.J.H.; Hooper D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Education Society's Press, Byculla; Mombai.
Year
1890
ISBN
 
Description
Information on the principal plant medicines encountered in India in the 19th century.
].

Medicinal

A drink made with the mucilage from the soaked seed is demulcent, febrifuge and stomachic[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
178
Title
Chinese Materia Medica.
Publication
 
Author
Stuart. Rev. G. A.
Publisher
Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
Year
1911
ISBN
-
Description
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
,
615
Title
Pharmacographia Indica
Publication
 
Author
Dymock W.; Warden C.J.H.; Hooper D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Education Society's Press, Byculla; Mombai.
Year
1890
ISBN
 
Description
Information on the principal plant medicines encountered in India in the 19th century.
]. It is said to be effective in a wide range of diseases, particularly for treating diarrhoea and dysentery, probably working by coating the affected area in a soothing, healing mucilage and thus giving it an opportunity to recover[
178
Title
Chinese Materia Medica.
Publication
 
Author
Stuart. Rev. G. A.
Publisher
Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
Year
1911
ISBN
-
Description
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
].
The main component in the mucilage is bassorin[
615
Title
Pharmacographia Indica
Publication
 
Author
Dymock W.; Warden C.J.H.; Hooper D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Education Society's Press, Byculla; Mombai.
Year
1890
ISBN
 
Description
Information on the principal plant medicines encountered in India in the 19th century.
].

Other Uses

The wood is a source of 'kembang semangkok' timber. We have no specific information on the wood of this species, but the following is a general description of kembang semangkok wood:-
The heartwood is light yellow to light brown, with a large silver figure; it is not demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or shallowly interlocked. The wood is moderately heavy; moderately hard; somewhat resistant to fungi but susceptible to dry wood borers. It seasons fairly rapidly, with very little risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable to stable in service. It has a high blunting effect, so stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good; gluing is correct. The wood is used in construction, for joinery and panelling, furniture components, boxes and crates, flooring, matches, plywood, veneer etc[
614
Title
Cambodiam Tree Species - Monographs.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.treeseedfa.org/
Publisher
Cambodia Tree Seed Project
Year
2004
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on 21 species of Cambodian trees. It is available as a PDF file, available as a download from the Internet.
,
848
Title
Tropix 7
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://tropix.cirad.fr/en
Publisher
CIRAD
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line guide to the timbers of 245 species of trees.
,
905
Title
Scaphium affine(Mast.) Pierre (Sterculiaceae) new for Thailand
Publication
Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 36: 61 - 69
Author
Phonsena P. & Wilkie P.
Publisher
The Forest Herbarium; Bangkok.
Year
2008
ISBN
 
Description
A short article in a botanical magazine describing Scaphium affine as a distinct species found in Thailand. It can be down loaded from the Internet
,
906
Title
Timber Notes - Light Hardwoods VI (Dedali, Kedondong, Kelempayan, Kelumpang, Kembang Semangkok)
Publication
Timber Technology Bulletin No. 16
Author
Choo K.T.; Gan S.; Lin S.C.
Publisher
Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur
Year
1999
ISBN
139-258
Description
Part of an excellent series of publications, this one giving a brief guide to five lesser known groups of heavy hardwoods from southeast Asia. It is available in PDF format on the Internet.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Scaphium+scaphigerum>

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