Ivory wood tree
Siphonodon celastrineus

Family: Celastraceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It grows 10-35 m high. The trunk is 20-70 cm across. It can have buttresses. Leaves are simple and oblong. They are 10-20 cm long by 4-8 cm wide. They are papery and shiny. The base is wedge shaped and it tapers towards the tip. There are 20-22 pairs of side veins. The leaf stalk is 1 cm long. The flowers are white and occur in clusters of 3. The fruit is a nut 3-4 cm long by 2.5-3.5 cm wide. The fruit are apple shaped and orange-yellow. There is a fleshy layer around the fruit. The flesh is edible. There are many hard seeds.

There are 7 Siphonodon species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It needs sunlight. It can tolerate drought. It grows in monsoon or dry mixed forests up to 1,300 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Bak kok, Hpun-ja, Maduk, Mak loup, Myauk-okshti, Pohon danoklot kepu, Pohon kayu gading, Sang da, Woibaw

Synonyms

Siphodon pyriformis Merr.; Xanthophyllum subglobosum Elmer;