Aglaia argentea

Aglaia argentea is a species of plants in the family Meliaceae. It is a tree found in Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Thailand.

Description

Aglaia argentea is an evergreen tree up to Template:Cvt tall, but may flower and fruit at about Template:Cvt.Template:R It has a spiral leaf arrangement and pinnately compound leaves with leaflets that are elliptical or oblong. The leaves typically range in size from Template:Cvt long and Template:Cvt wide. It is a dioecious species, meaning that male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. The flowers on both are similar, having 5 petals each.Template:R The male flowers have 5 stamens and the female flowers have superior ovaries. The fruit are about Template:Cvt diameter, oval and fleshy, and contain one to three seeds.Template:R The flowers have a complex inflorescence that can grow up to Template:Cvt long and wide, with radial symmetry.Template:R

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1825 by German-Dutch botanist Carl Ludwig Blume in his book Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië.Template:R

Ecology

This species is found in well-developed rainforests and other humid lowland areas. It grows in wet tropical areas of east Asia, Australia, and some of the Pacific islands. It thrives on full sunlight and moderate amounts of water.Template:R It is also successful on many different soil types, such as: basalt, clay, coral sand, granite, limestone and sandstone. It is pollinated by insects and the seeds are commonly dispersed by birds that eat the fruit.Template:R

Cultivation and Uses

The tree produces edible fruits that are often cultivated and eaten without the seeds in East Asia and some of the Pacific islands. The bark of the tree has steroids that were isolated to use as cytotoxins to help with some forms of cancer such as leukaemia.Template:R A. argentea is also known for a naturally occurring chemical called rocaglamide which contains properties that are useful as insecticides, antifungals, and antibacterial applications.Template:R In addition to the antibacterial properties, rocaglamide is also helpful with leukaemia much like the steroids mentioned before. Its timber is commonly used as a substitute for mahogany and it is also a great coloniser when regenerating forests and wildlife in areas where rainforests have been destroyed in the past.Template:R

Common names

Common names include silver boodyara, bekak, or koping-koping. It is also locally known as iloilo in the Western Visayas in the Philippines, named after the city of Iloilo (and the Iloilo province) where the tree is commonly found.Template:R