Celtis timorensis

Celtis timorensis
Leaves of Celtis timorensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Cannabaceae
Genus: Celtis
Species: C. timorensis
Binomial name
Celtis timorensis
Span.[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Celtis cinnamomea Lindl. ex Planch.
  • Celtis crenatoserrata Merr.
  • Celtis dysodoxylon Thwaites
  • Celtis hamata Blume
  • Celtis reticulosa Miq.
  • Celtis waitzii Blume

Celtis timorensis, commonly known as stinkwood or stinking wood is a species of flowering plant in the Cannabaceae family. The specific epithet comes from the name of the island of Timor, the locality of the type collection.[3] In Sri Lanka, it is known as "ගුරෙන්ද - gurenda", where whole plant is an important medicine.

Celtis timorensis at Hùng Temple, Vietnam

In Thailand, it is known as kæ̂ng k̄hī̂ phrar̀wng or mị̂ chĕd tūd phrar̀wng (Thai: แก้งขี้พระร่วง, ไม้เช็ดตูดพระร่วง; literally: wipe the bottom timber). Due to smell like feces, legend has it that Phra Ruang (the legendary King of Sukhothai dynasty) to wipe feces.[4]

Description

Celtis timorensis is a large forest tree growing to 25 m in height. The wood has a strong foetid smell, because of the presence of skatole. The oblate to oblong, strongly 3-veined leaves are 50–130 mm in length. Although the tree resembles Cinnamomum iners in its 3-veined leaves, it can easily be distinguished by its serrated leaf margins. The seed, protected by the 7–11 mm long fruit’s hard and durable endocarp, is dispersed by water.[3]

Flowers - Inflorescence - male greenish, short racemose cymes; female more slender axillary or terminal cymes.
Fruits - beaked, pear-shaped frupe.

Distribution and habitat

The tree is found across the southern and south-eastern Asian regions, from India and Sri Lanka, through Indo-China, southern China and Malesia to the Philippines. It occurs on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean, where it forms about 1% of the primary rainforest canopy.[3]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Spanoghe (1841).
  2. ↑ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Flora of Australia Online.
  4. ↑ "หายากมาก! "ไม้เช็ดตูดพระร่วง" ในตำนาน จนท.บุกป่าพิสูจน์เจอแค่ต้นเดียว (ชมคลิป)". ASTV Manager (in Thai). September 5, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.

Sources


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