Triadica cochinchinensis

Family: Euphorbiaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 12-20 m tall. The small branches are grey-brown. The leaves are alternate. The leaf stalks are 2-8 cm long. The leaf blade is narrowly oval and 4-10 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. There are glands near the edge underneath. The flowers are in groups 4-9 cm long. The female flowers are in the lower part and the male flowers in the upper part. The fruit are black round capsules 7-9 mm across. The seeds are 4-5 mm long. There is a thin waxy aril or layer around the seeds.

Seeds are used for fat for candles.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in broad-leaved evergreen forests. In south China it grows between 100-1,100 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Northeastern India, Philippines, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Apianareo, Shan wu jiu

Synonyms

Sapium discolor (Champ. ex Benth.) Mull.Arg.; Sapium eugeniifolium Buch.-Ham. ex Hook.f.; and others