Calophyllum
| Calophyllum | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| flower of Alexandrian Laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum) | ||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||
|
The genus Calophyllum (beautiful leaf, from Greek kalos, beautiful, and phullon, leaf) is a taxon composed exclusively of tropical evergreen trees, of the family Clusiaceae. There are around 180–200 species in this genus. The common names, as well as commercial names, for these trees are Bintangor tree (used in Malaysia) and poon tree (in India).
Table of contents |
Distribution and habitat
Calophyllum is found to grow in Madagascar, in all South Asia (India, Pakistan Sri Lanka) and Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia), in the Pacific islands, the West Indies and South America.
Calophyllums grow in a wide number of habitats, from ridges in mountain forests to coastal swamps, lowland forest and even coral cays.
Tree description
The tree, which are large hardwoods, attain 30 m in height and 0.8 m in diameter. It presents shiny and leathery leaves. The tree bark is grey or white and decorticates in large thin strips. The heartwood is pink-red, or almost brown. The sapwood colors vary from species to species, often from yellow, brown – often with pink tints – to orange.
Calophyllum hardwood is lightweight. Species occurring in Papua New Guinea are buttressed.
Medical interest
Several species have been found to contain naturally occurring calanolides in various quantities.
Other uses
The lightweight hardwood of these species is used, in boatmaking, for masts and spars.
Categories: Clusiaceae