Nauclea orientalis
Encyclopedia
Nauclea orientalis is a species of tree
in the Rubiaceae
family. It is commonly known as the Leichhardt tree and yellow cheesewood, among other names. It grows to a maximum of around 30 m (98.4 ft) in height and has large glossy leaves. It bears spherical clusters of fragrant flowers that develop into golf ball-sized edible but bitter fruits. The yellowish to orange soft wood is also used for timber and in woodcarving and folk medicine. It is native to Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia.
s Leichhardt tree, cheesewood, yellow cheesewood, and canary cheesewood. It is also sometimes known as the Leichhardt pine due to the overall shape of the tree, though it is not a conifer
. "Leichhardt pine", however, is more commonly used for the kadam or burrflower tree (Neolamarckia cadamba
), a closely related species. The two were often confused together, but the native range of Leichhardt trees do not extend to India
where kadam trees are common.
It is known chiefly as bangkal in the Philippines
. Regional variations of the name include balikakak, kabag, kabak, mabalot, and malbog. It is closely related and sometimes confused with the bongkol or bulubangkal tree (Nauclea subdita). It is called kanluang in Thailand
.
Among the Djabugay people of Australia
, they are known as gadugay. Among the Kuku Yalanji, they are known as kabal. The Jawoyn people
call it jirrib or wowerlk. In various other languages of the Indigenous Australians
, the names for Leinhhardt trees include kaapi or kalpi in Pakanh
, atulwanyj in Uw Oykangand
, atulganyj in Uw Olkola. In avoidance speech
(Uw Ilbmbanhdhiy or "respect language"), it is known as oboy in Uw Oykangand and opoy in Uw Olkola.
The common name "Leichhardt tree" is from the Australian explorer Ludwig Leichhardt
, who encountered the tree in his first expedition from Moreton Bay
to Port Essington
(from October 1, 1844 to December 17, 1845). He mistakenly identified it as a closely related Sarcocephalus
and remarked on their preponderance near large riverbanks.
Leichhardt trees belong to the genus
Nauclea
classified under the tribe
Naucleeae
, subfamily Cinchonoideae of the coffee family (Rubiaceae
).
The species was first described as Cephalanthus orientalis by Carl Linnaeus in the first edition of Species Plantarum
, but was transferred to the genus Nauclea in the second edition in 1762. The specific epithet orientalis means "eastern". The generic name
Nauclea comes from Greek
naus ("ship") and kleio ("close"). It is unknown why, as no part of the plant is remotely boat-like. A likely explanation is that Linnaeus was using different parts of plants when he first described the species and may have erroneously attributed a boat-like part of another plant to the species. It might also be a reference to the shape of the fruit cells.
, shedding their leaves during the dry season
. The bark surface of Liechhardt trees are grayish to reddish brown and may be smooth or fissured and flaky. It is orange to yellow in color when cut.
The broadly ovate smooth (glabrous) leaves are opposite and around 7 to 30 cm (2.8 to 11.8 in) by 4 to 18 cm (1.6 to 7.1 in) in size. The upper surface is glossy green. The bottom side has raised prominent yellow venation. Like most members of the Rubiaceae family, the stipule
s of Leichhardt trees are interpetiolar. In Nauclea, these interpetiolar stipules are held erect and pressed together, resulting in strongly flattened vegetative buds
. They are large, around 1 to 3.5 cm (0.393700787401575 to 1.4 in) long. On their inside surfaces are a number of small red glands that can resemble insect eggs.
The small fragrant flowers are tubular and are yellowish to orange with white stamens. They are grouped into a spherical cluster originating from a central point about 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter. They bloom from September to January in Australia, and August to October in the Philippines. The individual flowers are small, about 8 to 10 mm (0.31496062992126 to 0.393700787401575 in) long and 3 to 5 mm (0.118110236220472 to 0.196850393700787 in) in diameter. They possess a perianth
(each composed of five petal
s and sepal
s in separate whorls), The internal surface of the corolla are yellow to orange and sweet-smelling. They are frequently partly fused together, forming a long corolla tube tipped with the individual lobes of the petals. The flowers are bisexual, with 5 short and separate stamen
s attached to the perianth
. The calyces are also fused together, resulting in the spherical shape of the flower head. They are epigynous, with the ovary
inferior (lying below the attachment of the other flower parts).
After three months, the flower heads develop into a fleshy globular multiple fruit
(syncarp) joined by their calyces (each flower becoming a fruitlet containing one seed). They are around 4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2 in) in diameter, about the size of a golf ball
. The fruit is rugose (wrinkled), brown, and strongly aromatic. The fruits are indehiscent
.
The ovoid to ellipsoid seeds are small, around 1 to 10 mm (0.0393700787401575 to 0.393700787401575 in) in length and are not winged. They are very numerous but do not remain viable for long. Being recalcitrant
(unable to survive drying and freezing temperatures), it's impossible to store them. The seeds germinate above ground (epigeal
) areound 15 days after being sown.
. They can occur from shrublands of rheophyte
s, in areas often subjected to flood
ing, to rainforests where they flourish best. Leichhardt trees are pioneer species
, settling areas leading to ecological succession
. In Australia, they are usually associated in ecosystems including red gums and honey myrtles
in drier habitats. In wetter areas they are associated with brush cherries
, Moreton Bay chestnuts, and blush walnuts
. They grow along with honey myrtles
in swamp
s. In the Philippines, Leichhardt trees are usually found growing in secondary forest
s.
Leichhardt trees grow at elevations of 0 to 500 m (0 to 1,640.4 ft) above sea level
. Their native range
extends from tropical Northern Australia
and New Guinea
to Southeast Asia
; from the Philippines
to Myanmar
and Thailand
(the biogeographic
region of Malesia
). They are the only species of Nauclea
occurring in Australia, though in some regions they can be easily confused with species from the genus Neolamarckia (=Acanthocephalus).
, though it is very bitter-tasting. They are also eaten by flying foxes and bird
s (like Cassowaries
). In Malaysia, it is one of the food sources of proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), along with other members of Rubiaceae.
The wood is easily cut (hence the common name of "cheesewood") but is not durable to weather exposure. It is distinctively yellowish to orange in color. The timber is used for frames and internal floorboards. It is also used in woodcarving, paper production, house construction, and for making canoe
s.
The bark is also used to make fish poison
. The extract is added to slow-moving bodies of water to stun fish and make them easier to catch.
In folk medicine
, bark infusions cause vomiting
and are used by Indigenous Australians to treat stomachaches and animal bites. It is the source of a yellow dye
. In the Philippines, it is used to treat wounds.
Studies on indole alkaloids extracted from Leichhardt trees have also pointed to possible antimalarial and anticancer effects.
beetles and blue stain fungus
(Grosmannia clavigera). It is also reportedly vulnerable to termite
s.
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
in the Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
family. It is commonly known as the Leichhardt tree and yellow cheesewood, among other names. It grows to a maximum of around 30 m (98.4 ft) in height and has large glossy leaves. It bears spherical clusters of fragrant flowers that develop into golf ball-sized edible but bitter fruits. The yellowish to orange soft wood is also used for timber and in woodcarving and folk medicine. It is native to Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia.
Taxonomy and nomenclature
Nauclea orientalis is known under the common nameCommon name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s Leichhardt tree, cheesewood, yellow cheesewood, and canary cheesewood. It is also sometimes known as the Leichhardt pine due to the overall shape of the tree, though it is not a conifer
Pinophyta
The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...
. "Leichhardt pine", however, is more commonly used for the kadam or burrflower tree (Neolamarckia cadamba
Neolamarckia cadamba
Neolamarckia cadamba, commonly called Kadam is an evergreen, tropical tree native to South and Southeast Asia. The genus name "Lamarckia" is derived from the name of French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.-Description:...
), a closely related species. The two were often confused together, but the native range of Leichhardt trees do not extend to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where kadam trees are common.
It is known chiefly as bangkal in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Regional variations of the name include balikakak, kabag, kabak, mabalot, and malbog. It is closely related and sometimes confused with the bongkol or bulubangkal tree (Nauclea subdita). It is called kanluang in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Among the Djabugay people of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, they are known as gadugay. Among the Kuku Yalanji, they are known as kabal. The Jawoyn people
Jawoyn people
The Jawoyn people are a group of Indigenous Australians living in the Northern Territory of Australia.Their country is around the Katherine Gorge area, which they have always called Nitmiluk, which means place of cicada dreaming....
call it jirrib or wowerlk. In various other languages of the Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
, the names for Leinhhardt trees include kaapi or kalpi in Pakanh
Pakanha language
Pakanha, or Bakanha, is a nearly extinct Paman language spoken on the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia. As of 1981, there were 10 speakers of the language, originally spoken by the aboriginal Pakanha people in the central part of the Cape York Peninsula.- Vowels :Pakanha has 5 vowel...
, atulwanyj in Uw Oykangand
Uw Oykangand language
Kunjen is a Paman language spoken on the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia, by the Uw Olkola and Uw Oykangand people. The two dialects, Uw Olkola and Uw Oykangand, are very close, being mutually intelligible and sharing 97% of their core vocabulary.A small dictionary of Kunjen has been...
, atulganyj in Uw Olkola. In avoidance speech
Avoidance speech
Avoidance speech, or "mother-in-law languages", is a feature of many Australian Aboriginal languages and some North American languages and Bantu languages of Africa whereby in the presence of certain relatives it is taboo to use everyday speech style, and instead a special speech style must be...
(Uw Ilbmbanhdhiy or "respect language"), it is known as oboy in Uw Oykangand and opoy in Uw Olkola.
The common name "Leichhardt tree" is from the Australian explorer Ludwig Leichhardt
Ludwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
, who encountered the tree in his first expedition from Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
to Port Essington
Port Essington
Port Essington is an inlet and historic site located on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory...
(from October 1, 1844 to December 17, 1845). He mistakenly identified it as a closely related Sarcocephalus
Sarcocephalus
Sarcocephalus is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. It holds two species of shrubs or trees native to tropical Africa. Sarcocephalus latifolius has edible fruits known as African peach, Guinea peach, Sierra Leone peach or Country fig....
and remarked on their preponderance near large riverbanks.
Leichhardt trees belong to the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Nauclea
Nauclea
Nauclea is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. The species are evergreen trees or shrubs that are native to the paleotropics. The terminal vegetative buds are usually strongly flattened. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek words naus, meaning "ship" and kleio,...
classified under the tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Naucleeae
Naucleeae
Naucleeae is a tribe of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family and contains about 180 species in 23 genera. Species belonging to Naucleeae occur from Australasia, tropical Asia, Madagascar, tropical Africa, and to the Neotropics and North America.-Genera:...
, subfamily Cinchonoideae of the coffee family (Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
).
The species was first described as Cephalanthus orientalis by Carl Linnaeus in the first edition of Species Plantarum
Species Plantarum
Species Plantarum was first published in 1753, as a two-volume work by Carl Linnaeus. Its prime importance is perhaps that it is the primary starting point of plant nomenclature as it exists today. This means that the first names to be considered validly published in botany are those that appear...
, but was transferred to the genus Nauclea in the second edition in 1762. The specific epithet orientalis means "eastern". The generic name
Generic name
Generic name may be:*Generic name, name of a biological genus*Generic name, International Nonproprietary Name for a drug*A placeholder name, referring to nobody in particular, such as Joe Bloggs or John Q. Public...
Nauclea comes from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
naus ("ship") and kleio ("close"). It is unknown why, as no part of the plant is remotely boat-like. A likely explanation is that Linnaeus was using different parts of plants when he first described the species and may have erroneously attributed a boat-like part of another plant to the species. It might also be a reference to the shape of the fruit cells.
Description
Leichhardt trees are medium to tall trees, reaching maximum height of around 30 m (98.4 ft) with a diameter of 1 m (3.3 ft). They are deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
, shedding their leaves during the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
. The bark surface of Liechhardt trees are grayish to reddish brown and may be smooth or fissured and flaky. It is orange to yellow in color when cut.
The broadly ovate smooth (glabrous) leaves are opposite and around 7 to 30 cm (2.8 to 11.8 in) by 4 to 18 cm (1.6 to 7.1 in) in size. The upper surface is glossy green. The bottom side has raised prominent yellow venation. Like most members of the Rubiaceae family, the stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s of Leichhardt trees are interpetiolar. In Nauclea, these interpetiolar stipules are held erect and pressed together, resulting in strongly flattened vegetative buds
Bud
In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of the stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specialized to develop flowers or short shoots, or may have...
. They are large, around 1 to 3.5 cm (0.393700787401575 to 1.4 in) long. On their inside surfaces are a number of small red glands that can resemble insect eggs.
The small fragrant flowers are tubular and are yellowish to orange with white stamens. They are grouped into a spherical cluster originating from a central point about 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter. They bloom from September to January in Australia, and August to October in the Philippines. The individual flowers are small, about 8 to 10 mm (0.31496062992126 to 0.393700787401575 in) long and 3 to 5 mm (0.118110236220472 to 0.196850393700787 in) in diameter. They possess a perianth
Perianth
The term perianth has two similar but separate meanings in botany:* In flowering plants, the perianth are the outer, sterile whorls of a flower...
(each composed of five petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s and sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s in separate whorls), The internal surface of the corolla are yellow to orange and sweet-smelling. They are frequently partly fused together, forming a long corolla tube tipped with the individual lobes of the petals. The flowers are bisexual, with 5 short and separate stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s attached to the perianth
Perianth
The term perianth has two similar but separate meanings in botany:* In flowering plants, the perianth are the outer, sterile whorls of a flower...
. The calyces are also fused together, resulting in the spherical shape of the flower head. They are epigynous, with the ovary
Ovary (plants)
In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals...
inferior (lying below the attachment of the other flower parts).
After three months, the flower heads develop into a fleshy globular multiple fruit
Multiple fruit
Multiple fruits are fruits that are formed from a cluster of flowers . Each flower in the inflorescence produces a fruit, but these mature into a single mass...
(syncarp) joined by their calyces (each flower becoming a fruitlet containing one seed). They are around 4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2 in) in diameter, about the size of a golf ball
Golf ball
A golf ball is a ball designed to be used in the game of golf.Under the Rules of Golf, a golf ball weighs no more than 1.620 oz , has a diameter not less than 1.680 in , and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits...
. The fruit is rugose (wrinkled), brown, and strongly aromatic. The fruits are indehiscent
Dehiscence (botany)
Dehiscence is the opening, at maturity, in a pre-defined way, of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that open in this way are said to be dehiscent...
.
The ovoid to ellipsoid seeds are small, around 1 to 10 mm (0.0393700787401575 to 0.393700787401575 in) in length and are not winged. They are very numerous but do not remain viable for long. Being recalcitrant
Recalcitrant seed
Recalcitrant seeds are seeds that do not survive drying and freezing during ex-situ conservation. Moreover, these seeds cannot resist the effects of drying or temperatures less than 10° C; thus, they cannot be stored for long periods like orthodox seeds because they can lose their viability...
(unable to survive drying and freezing temperatures), it's impossible to store them. The seeds germinate above ground (epigeal
Epigeal
Epigeal, epigean, epigeic and epigeous are biological terms describing an organism's activity above the soil surface.In botany, a seed is described as epigeal when the cotyledons of the germinating seed expand, throw off the seed shell and become photosynthetic above the ground...
) areound 15 days after being sown.
Distribution and habitat
Leichhardt trees usually grow near bodies of water, as they prefer alluvial soilsAlluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
. They can occur from shrublands of rheophyte
Rheophyte
A rheophyte is an aquatic plant that lives in fast moving water currents in an environment where few other organisms can survive. Rheophytes tend to be found in currents that move at rates of 1 to 2 meters per second and that are up to 3 to 6 feet deep. The amount of force such fast moving currents...
s, in areas often subjected to flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing, to rainforests where they flourish best. Leichhardt trees are pioneer species
Pioneer species
Pioneer species are species which colonize previously uncolonized land, usually leading to ecological succession. They are the first organisms to start the chain of events leading to a livable biosphere or ecosystem...
, settling areas leading to ecological succession
Ecological succession
Ecological succession, is the phenomenon or process by which a community progressively transforms itself until a stable community is formed. It is a fundamental concept in ecology, and refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community...
. In Australia, they are usually associated in ecosystems including red gums and honey myrtles
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
in drier habitats. In wetter areas they are associated with brush cherries
Syzygium
Syzygium is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1100 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific...
, Moreton Bay chestnuts, and blush walnuts
Beilschmiedia obtusifolia
Beilschmiedia obtusifolia is a rainforest laurel growing in eastern Australia. The range of natural distribution is from the Manning River in New South Wales to the Daintree River in tropical Queensland. Beilschmiedia obtusifolia grows in tropical and sub tropical rainforests. Usually on the more...
. They grow along with honey myrtles
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
in swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s. In the Philippines, Leichhardt trees are usually found growing in secondary forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
s.
Leichhardt trees grow at elevations of 0 to 500 m (0 to 1,640.4 ft) above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. Their native range
Native plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
extends from tropical Northern Australia
Northern Australia
The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included...
and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
; from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
to Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
(the biogeographic
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
region of Malesia
Malesia
Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundaries of the Indomalaya ecozone and Australasia ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom.-Floristic province:...
). They are the only species of Nauclea
Nauclea
Nauclea is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. The species are evergreen trees or shrubs that are native to the paleotropics. The terminal vegetative buds are usually strongly flattened. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek words naus, meaning "ship" and kleio,...
occurring in Australia, though in some regions they can be easily confused with species from the genus Neolamarckia (=Acanthocephalus).
Uses
The tree is cultivated for ornamental purposes. The fruits of the tree are edible and are eaten by Indigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
, though it is very bitter-tasting. They are also eaten by flying foxes and bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s (like Cassowaries
Cassowary
The cassowaries are ratites, very large flightless birds in the genus Casuarius native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. There are three extant species recognized today...
). In Malaysia, it is one of the food sources of proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), along with other members of Rubiaceae.
The wood is easily cut (hence the common name of "cheesewood") but is not durable to weather exposure. It is distinctively yellowish to orange in color. The timber is used for frames and internal floorboards. It is also used in woodcarving, paper production, house construction, and for making canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s.
The bark is also used to make fish poison
Fish toxins
Fish toxins or fish stupifying plants have historically been used by many hunter gatherer cultures to stun fish, so that the fish become easy to collect by hand. Some of these toxins paralyse fish, others work by reducing oxygen content in water...
. The extract is added to slow-moving bodies of water to stun fish and make them easier to catch.
In folk medicine
Folk medicine
-Description:Refers to healing practices and ideas of body physiology and health preservation known to a limited segment of the population in a culture, transmitted informally as general knowledge, and practiced or applied by anyone in the culture having prior experience.All cultures and societies...
, bark infusions cause vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
and are used by Indigenous Australians to treat stomachaches and animal bites. It is the source of a yellow dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
. In the Philippines, it is used to treat wounds.
Studies on indole alkaloids extracted from Leichhardt trees have also pointed to possible antimalarial and anticancer effects.
Pests and diseases
Leichhardt trees are susceptible to LyctusLyctus (beetle)
Lyctus is a genus of beetles with a worldwide distribution, being present on all continents except Antarctica.-External links:*...
beetles and blue stain fungus
Blue stain fungus
The blue stain fungus, Grosmannia clavigera, is a species of sac fungus. It spreads to Lodgepole pine, Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and Whitebark pine trees from the body and a special structure in the heads of Mountain Pine Beetles...
(Grosmannia clavigera). It is also reportedly vulnerable to termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s.
See also
- Fish toxinsFish toxinsFish toxins or fish stupifying plants have historically been used by many hunter gatherer cultures to stun fish, so that the fish become easy to collect by hand. Some of these toxins paralyse fish, others work by reducing oxygen content in water...
- Nauclea diderrichiiNauclea diderrichiiNauclea diderrichii is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is...
- Neolamarckia cadambaNeolamarckia cadambaNeolamarckia cadamba, commonly called Kadam is an evergreen, tropical tree native to South and Southeast Asia. The genus name "Lamarckia" is derived from the name of French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.-Description:...
, the kadam tree. A species commonly confused with the Leichhardt tree.