Sterculia foetida L.
Family
Sterculiaceae
Synonyms
S. polyphylla R.Br.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Kelumpang jari (Peninsular). |
| Indonesia | Kepoh (Javanese, Java), kabu-kabu (Batak, Sumatra), kalupat (Sulawesi). |
| Philippines | Kalumpang (general). |
| Burma (Myanmar) | Letpan-shaw. |
| Cambodia | Samrong. |
| Thailand |
Samrong (central, eastern), homrong (peninsular), chammahong (Chiang Mai). |
| Vietnam | tr[oo]m. |
Geographical Distributions
Sterculia foetida is distributed fromeastern Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, Thailand, throughout the Malesian region (but not reported for Sarawak and Papua New Guinea), northern Australia and Hawaii.
Description
S. foetida is a medium-sized to fairly large deciduous tree, which is up to measure 40 m tall and with its bole is up to measure about 90(-120) cm in diametre. The buttresses are up to measure 1.5 m high, sparsely cracked bark surface and peel off into large pieces or slightly fissured and dippled, lenticellate and whitish-grey to greyish-brown in colour. The inner bark is fibrous, brown or reddish-brown in colour and stout twigs which is measure about 25 mm in diametre.
The leaves are palmately compound with (5-)6-10 leaflets, with a size of measure 10-25(-45) cm long petiole, caduceus stipules, elliptical to lanceolate in shape of leaflets, with a size measure about (7-)12-15(-20) cm x (3-)4-6(-7) cm, acute at the base and glabrescent.
The inflorescence is an axillary or subterminal and paniculate. The sepal is with obconical tube that is hairy inside and 5 lance-shaped spreading lobes, which are much longer than the tube. The male flowers are with 14-15 anthers. The follicles are usually 5, suborbicular or boat-shaped, with a size of 8-14 cm long and red.
The measuring of 2-3 cm long seed is an ellipsoid and it is black in colour.
Ecology / Cultivation
S. foetida occurs in primary and secondary forest, often on river banks and on coral sandstone rocks along the coast, up to 1000 m altitude. The heartwood is pinkish and has a pungent smell. The density is 495-600(-760) kg/m3 at 15% moisture content.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 5(2): Timber trees: Minor commercial timbers.
