| Etymology | Genus | 'Strong wood' in Greek, referring to the timber |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Beautiful in Latin, perhaps referring to its flush bloom of pink covering the canopy | |
| Family | Hypericaceae | |
| Synonyms | - | |
| Common Names | Pink Mempat | |
| Status | Native: Endangered | |
| Form | Tree | |
| Native Distribution | China, Indochina, Malesia | |
Diagnostics:
Cratoxylum formosum is a native tree that can be found in our rain forests, but yet cultivated extensively along the roadsides too. During the dry season, it loses all its leaves and have a flush of pink flowers covering the canopy, representing in a way, our local "Sakura" bloom. The new leaves are reddish orange.
Interesting Facts:
The durable wood is used to be build houses in Java (Rao & Wee, 1989).
Cultivated tree at Alexandra Retail Centre.
Cultivated tree in bloom with new leaves at Queenstown.
Leaves upper.
Leaves lower.
Flowers.
Fruits.
Trunk.
References
Rao AN & WC Wee (1989) Singapore Trees. Singapore Institute of Biology, Singapore. 357 pp.
Author: Siyang
Posted: 2024-08-10 / Modified: 2024-08-15
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