Alstonia scholaris

Content

Description

Medium-sized to big tree 10-50(-60) m high, 20-80(-130) cm dbh, fluted at the base or forming tall and steep buttresses up to 10 m high, spreading for up to 4 m at the base. Bark smooth, scaly or shallowly fissured and peeling off in rectangular flakes, fawn or light brown; Branchlets glabrous. Leaves in whorls of 4-8(-9); Inflorescence 4-13(-17) cm long, many-flowered, mostly formed of two dense bunches of flowers; Flowers fragrant. Sepals pale green, connate at the base for 0.3-0.7(-1) mm, ovate, 1.5-2.4 by 0.8-1.9 mm, obtuse, sometimes acute or mucronulate, pubescent outside, minutely pubescent or less often glabrous inside, erect, ciliate. Stamens inserted at 5.2-8.4 mm from the base; Fruit a pair of follicles, 20-40(-63) cm by c. 2(-2.5) mm, glabrous. Seeds dark brown, oblong, 4.5-5.5(-7) by 1.2-1.6(-2) mm, glabrous on both sides, ends rounded;

Distribution

Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical: Bangladesh (Bangladesh present); Cambodia (Cambodia present); East Himalaya (Bhutan present); India present; Laos (Laos present); Pakistan (Pakistan present); Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka present); Thailand (Thailand present); Vietnam (Vietnam present), Australasia, Burma present, Nepal present, Solomon Islands present

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, LaosVietnam, Australia, Solomon Islands; in Malesia: throughout.

Uses

This species is the most important source of the pulai timber. This timber is used for household items and the pulp makes a high quality paper. As it is so light it can be used for fishing net floats. It can be used for the treatment of diarrhoea and stomach ache, snake bites, and for treating Herpes zoster by applying the latex on the affected parts. The tree is also sometimes used as an ornamental.

Citation

Markgr. 1974 – In: Blumea: 23

Whitmore & Tantra 1989: Checklist Sulawesi: 14

Whitmore et al. 1997: Checklist Irian Jaya: 16

K. Schum. & Hollrung 1889: Fl. Kais. Wilh. Land: 112

Kessler & Sidiy. 1994: Trees Balikpapan-Samarinda: 52

Markgr. 1927 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 177

Burkill 1935 – In: Dict. Econ. Prod. Malay Penins.: 113

Whitmore et al. 1989: Checklist Bali, Nusa Tenggara Timor: 13

Sidiy. 1998 – In: Blumea: 176

Backer & Bakh.f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 226

M. Gangop. & Chakr. 1992 – In: J. Econ. Taxon. Bot.: 31

Coode et al. 1996: Checklist Pl. Brunei: 25

Smythies 1965: Common Sarawak Trees: 20

Merr. 1921: Bibliogr. Enum. Born. Pl.: 498

D.J. Middleton 2004 – In: Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak: 22

P.S. Ashton 1988 – In: Man. non-Dipt. Trees Sarawak: 23

K. Schum. & Lauterb. 1901: Fl. Schutzgeb. Südsee: 501

J.A.R. Anderson 1980: Checklist Trees Sarawak: 148

D.J. Middleton 1999 – In: Fl. Thailand: 45

Miq. 1857 – In: Fl. Ned. Ind.: 436

H. Huber 1983 – In: Abeyw. (ed.), Revis. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 4: 42

R.Br. 2001 – In: PROSEA: 67

R.Br. 1990: Checklist Kalimantan: 25

King & Gamble 1907 – In: J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal: 436

Monach. 1949 – In: Pacific Sci.: 146

Corner 1952 – In: Wayside Trees Malaya, ed. 2: 142

Boerl. 1900 – In: Bull. Inst. Bot. Buitenzorg: 15

R.Br. 1993 – In: PROSEA: 88

A.DC. 1844 – In: Prodr.: 408

Blanco 1837: Fl. Filip.: 107

Whitmore & Tantra 1986: Checklist Sumatra: 19

R.Br. 1811 – In: Mem. Wern. Nat. Hist. Soc.: 76

P.I. Forst. 1996 – In: Fl. Australia: 120

Kessler et al. 2002 – In: Blumea: 13

Pradhan 2001 – In: Singh et al., Fl. Maharashtra State Dicot. 2: 318

R.Br. 1989: Checklist Maluku: 14

Ridl. 1923 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 346

H. Huber 1973 – In: Abeyw. (ed.), Revis. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 1: 12

Fl. Ned. Ind. 1861: Eerste Bijv.: 555

Masam. 1942: Enum. Phan. Born.: 617