The Tembusu is a large evergreen tree

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 family Gentianaceae

Gentianaceae

Gentianaceae are a family of flowering plants of 87 genera and over 1500 species. Flowers are actinomorphic and bisexual with fused sepals and petals. The stamens are attached to the inside of the petals and alternate with the corolla lobes. There is a glandular disk at the base of the gynoecium,...

. It is native to South-east Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

. Its trunk is dark brown, with deeply fissured bark

Bark

Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...

, looking somewhat like a bittergourd. It grows in an irregular shape from 10 to 25m high . Its leaves are light green and oval in shape. Its yellowish flowers have a distinct fragrance and the fruits of the tree are bitter tasting red berries, which are eaten by birds and fruit bats.

Common names

Buabua (Fiji Islands), Urung (Philippines), Temasuk (Sabah), Tatrao, Trai (Cambodia), Tam Sao (Thailand), Tembesu (Indonesia), Anan, Ananma (Burma).

Uses

The trunk of this tree can produce very hard wood that can be used to make chopping boards.

Symbolism

• It is the provincial tree of Surin Province
  Surin Province
  Surin is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Buriram, Maha Sarakham, Roi Et and Sisaket...
  
  , 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...
  
  .
• It is pictured on the Singaporean five-dollar bill.

External links

• Description from a woods supply site