Cratoxylum cochinchinense

Cratoxylum cochinchinense is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae.^[3][6] It is sometimes referred to using an orthographic variant Cratoxylon cochinsinensis (Lour.) Blume in Vietnam, where the species was described.^[7] The specific epithet cochinchinense is from the Latin meaning "of Cochinchina".^[4] In Vietnamese C. cochinchinense is usually called thành ngạch nam^[7] or lành ngạnh nam, other names include: hoàng ngưu mộc, hoàng ngưu trà and đỏ ngọn.

Cratoxylum cochinchinense
Dehiscent seed capsules, leaves and trunk: Cat Tien National Park specimen
Characteristic trunk of young tree (with epiphytic orchids)
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Hypericaceae
Genus:	Cratoxylum
Species:	C. cochinchinense
Binomial name
Cratoxylum cochinchinense (Lour.) Blume[2]
Synonyms[3][2][4][5]
List Hypericum cochinchinense Lour. Vismia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. Stalagmitis erosipetala Miq. Ancistrolobus brevipes Turcz. Ancistrolobus ligustrinus Spach Cratoxylum biflorum (Lam.) Turcz. Cratoxylum carneum Kurz Cratoxylum chinense (Hance) Merr. Cratoxylum hypoleucum Elmer Cratoxylum lanceolatum Miq. Cratoxylum ligustrinum (Spach) Blume Cratoxylum myrtifolium Blume Cratoxylum petiolatum Blume Cratoxylum polyanthum Korth. Cratoxylum polyanthum var. ligustrinum Blume Cratoxylum polyanthum var. macrocarpum Boerl. Cratoxylum wightii Blume Elodes chinensis Hance Elodes pulchella Loudon Hypericum biflorum Lam. Hypericum carneum Wall. Hypericum chinense Retz. Hypericum horridum Wall. Hypericum loureiroi K.Koch Hypericum petiolatum Lour. Hypericum pulchellum Willd.

In Malesia the trees are cut for derum timber.^[1]

Description

Cratoxylum cochinchinense grows as a shrub or tree, typically measuring 10-15 metres (49 ft) tall with a diameter of up to 0.65 metres (2 ft 2 in). The brown bark is smooth to flaky, with characteristic lateral pegs which are the remnants of previous leaf clusters (see illustration); leaf undersides are glaucous.^[7] The flowers are crimson red, which develop into seed capsules measuring up to 12 mm (0.5 in) long.^[4]

Distribution and habitat

Cratoxylum cochinchinense is native to the Andaman Islands, Borneo, Cambodia, South-Central and Southeast China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Nicobar Islands, the Philippines, Sumatera, Thailand, and Vietnam.^[3] Its habitat is sub-tropical and tropical forests, including kerangas forests and peat swamps.^[4]

Gallery

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