Common Name:

General Information

Syzygium antisepticum is an evergreen tree growing 25 - 40 metres tall. The bole can be free of branches for up to 10 metres and up to 80cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a source of tannins and wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - northeast India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Lowland forest, often on river banks or near the coast[]. A mid-canopy tree in undisturbed mixed dipterocarp, coastal and sub-montane forests at elevations up to 1,800 metres[]. Found on hillsides and ridges with sandy soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

We have no specific information on edibility for the fruit of this species, but the fruits of many members of this genus are edible[]. The fruit is a whitish-red-violet, fleshy, globose berry about 5mm in diameter[].

Young shoots - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The plant is antiseptic and is used medicinally[].

Other Uses

The tannin-yielding bark is used for toughening fishing nets and for colouring clothes reddish-brown or black[].

The wood is sometimes used for construction, but it is usually not considered of much value[]. The wood is used in the construction of houses, ships and bridges, and for furniture and implements[].
We do not have any more specific information for the wood of this species, but it belongs to a group of timbers trees collectively known as 'kelat'. The general description of kelat timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is a golden brown, greyish brown or brown, with pink or purplish glints; it is not clearly demarcated from the 1 - 4cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is fine; the grain slightly interlocked, sometimes wavy or irregular; there are resin deposits. The wood is heavy; moderately hard; somewhat durable, being moderately resistant to fungi and termites, but susceptible to dry wood borers. It seasons slowly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It works well with ordinary tools, nailing and screwing are good so long as the wood is pre-bored; gluing is correct. The wood is used for musical instruments, tool handles, furniture components, ship building, heavy carpentry, flooring, joinery etc[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe.

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