Calophyllum soulattri
Burm. f., Fl. Ind. 2: 121. 1768; Sastri et al., Wealth of India 2: 20. 1950, p.p.; Mahesh. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 2: 142. 1960. C. spectabile auct. non Willd.; T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 271. 1874, p.p. C. tetrapetalum Roxb. ex G. Don,
Gen. Hist. 1: 622. 1831. Mahesh. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 2: 146. 1960, p.p. C. moonii Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. t. 111. 1839 & Ill. Ind. Bot. 1: 129. 1840. C. wallichiana auct. non Planch. & Triana 1861; T. Anderson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 273. 1874, p.p. Mahesh. in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 2: 146. 1960, p.p.
Hindi: Lalchuni or Lalchini; And.: Dakar-talada; Eng.: The Nicobar Canoe Tree.
Trees, 20 - 40 m tall; trunk ca 3 m girth; wood reddish-white to pale reddish-brown, moderately heavy; bark greyish to brownish, smooth but with distant, shallow, boat-shaped fissures, often slightly flaky and scaly; exudate usually white, watery but soon becoming creamy-yellow and sticky on exposure; branchlets 4 - or 2 - 6-angled, sometimes terete, subglabrous or tomentose, pale yellow; internodes 1.5 - 10 cm long; terminal buds cylindrical or conical, pointed, 1 - 2 cm long, coarsely ferruginous-tomentose. Leaves very variable in size, 15 - 25 x 4 - 7 cm, ovate to ovate-oblong, sometimes elliptic-oblong, usually broadest just above base, cuneate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, above shiny,dull beneath, rarely tomentose especially on midrib; lateral veins 12 - 28, 5 mm apart, fine, raised, close, indistinct, almost horizontal; petioles 1.5 - 2 cm long, canaliculate or broadly concave above, glabrous or rusty tomentose. Racemes ca 3 - 4 cm long, axillary, very rarely terminal, subumbellate, 7 - 21-flowered, shortly pedunculate or subsessile, white or furruginous tomentose. Flowers white, ca 12 - 15 mm in diam., scented; usually 4 at each node; bracts ca 6 mm long, ovate, tomentose on lower surface, deciduous; pedicels 1 - 2.8 cm long, slender, glabrous. Sepals 4, glabrous, unequal in 2 whorls, outer pair 4.5 - 6 x 3 - 5 mm, ovate, rarely tomentose outside, inner pair 5 - 9 x 3 - 5 mm, nearly obovate. Petals absent. Stamens numerous (ca 40 - 140); filaments ca 4 mm long, slender; anthers 0.7 - 2.5 mm long, oblong, yellow. Ovary 1 - 2 mm long, ovoid, glabrous; styles 1.5 - 2.5 mm long; stigmas peltate, 3-radiate, 0.4 - 0.7 mm across, reddish. Drupes 10 - 16 x 8 - 15 mm, globose, mucronate with persistent style base, smooth; pericarp thick; stone 0.7 - 1.1 x 0.65 - 1 cm, smooth, subspherical, basal plug sometimes present; ripe fruit purplish-black, sourish, with a stout, glabrous pedicel.
Fl. & Fr. March - Oct.
Distrib. India: In rain forests up to 300 m. prefers drained habitat but sometimes occurs in swamp forests. Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Vietnam to Australia, the Solomon & Palau Islands; more or less naturalized on the Mascarenas. Native of S.E. Asia and the Philippines.
Notes. The timber is strong and elastic but not durable, is used for masts and spears and considered suitable for planking, rafters, boxes and joining work; used in building barracks in the Andaman Islands. Fruits are edible but are eaten only in small quantities. Seed oil sometimes used like that of C. inophyllum.
Trees, 20 - 40 m tall; trunk ca 3 m girth; wood reddish-white to pale reddish-brown, moderately heavy; bark greyish to brownish, smooth but with distant, shallow, boat-shaped fissures, often slightly flaky and scaly; exudate usually white, watery but soon becoming creamy-yellow and sticky on exposure; branchlets 4 - or 2 - 6-angled, sometimes terete, subglabrous or tomentose, pale yellow; internodes 1.5 - 10 cm long; terminal buds cylindrical or conical, pointed, 1 - 2 cm long, coarsely ferruginous-tomentose. Leaves very variable in size, 15 - 25 x 4 - 7 cm, ovate to ovate-oblong, sometimes elliptic-oblong, usually broadest just above base, cuneate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, above shiny,dull beneath, rarely tomentose especially on midrib; lateral veins 12 - 28, 5 mm apart, fine, raised, close, indistinct, almost horizontal; petioles 1.5 - 2 cm long, canaliculate or broadly concave above, glabrous or rusty tomentose. Racemes ca 3 - 4 cm long, axillary, very rarely terminal, subumbellate, 7 - 21-flowered, shortly pedunculate or subsessile, white or furruginous tomentose. Flowers white, ca 12 - 15 mm in diam., scented; usually 4 at each node; bracts ca 6 mm long, ovate, tomentose on lower surface, deciduous; pedicels 1 - 2.8 cm long, slender, glabrous. Sepals 4, glabrous, unequal in 2 whorls, outer pair 4.5 - 6 x 3 - 5 mm, ovate, rarely tomentose outside, inner pair 5 - 9 x 3 - 5 mm, nearly obovate. Petals absent. Stamens numerous (ca 40 - 140); filaments ca 4 mm long, slender; anthers 0.7 - 2.5 mm long, oblong, yellow. Ovary 1 - 2 mm long, ovoid, glabrous; styles 1.5 - 2.5 mm long; stigmas peltate, 3-radiate, 0.4 - 0.7 mm across, reddish. Drupes 10 - 16 x 8 - 15 mm, globose, mucronate with persistent style base, smooth; pericarp thick; stone 0.7 - 1.1 x 0.65 - 1 cm, smooth, subspherical, basal plug sometimes present; ripe fruit purplish-black, sourish, with a stout, glabrous pedicel.
Fl. & Fr. March - Oct.
Distrib. India: In rain forests up to 300 m. prefers drained habitat but sometimes occurs in swamp forests. Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Vietnam to Australia, the Solomon & Palau Islands; more or less naturalized on the Mascarenas. Native of S.E. Asia and the Philippines.
Notes. The timber is strong and elastic but not durable, is used for masts and spears and considered suitable for planking, rafters, boxes and joining work; used in building barracks in the Andaman Islands. Fruits are edible but are eaten only in small quantities. Seed oil sometimes used like that of C. inophyllum.
