Bischofia trifoliata Hook

Bischofia javanica is a medium to fairly large, usually deciduous tree, 30-50 m tall, bole straight or poorly shaped, branchless part usually short but sometimes up to 20 m long, up to 80(-170) cm in diameter, sometimes with steep buttresses up to 3 m high; bark fissured and scaly with small, thick shaggy scales, reddish-brown to purplish-brown, inner bark fibrous, spongy, pink, exuding a red sap; crown dense and rounded. Leaves arranged spirally, pinnately 3-foliate, glabrous; petiole 8-20 cm long; stipules oblong-triangular, papery, 7-22 mm long, early caducous, leaflets elliptical to ovate, 6-16 cm x 3-10 cm, base rounded to broadly cuneate, apex acuminate, margin finely crenate-serrate, pinately veined, shiny above, terminal leaflet long-stalked. Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic, 5-merous, small, greenish, apetalous; disc absent. Male flowers in an axillary, many-flowered, 9-20 cm long panicle; sepals united at base, hooded; stamens 5, free, opposite to the calyx lobes; pistillode broadly peltate and short-stalked. Female flowers in a lax, 15-27 cm long panicle; calyx lobes 5, caducous; staminodes very small; ovary superior, globose, 3(-4) celled, with 2 apical pendulous ovules per cell, style short, with 3 long and spreading to recurved stigmas. Fruit a globose drupe, indehiscent, 1.2-1.5 cm across, bluish-black, with a horny to leathery pericarp and fleshy mesocarp; cells 1-2 seeded. Seed oblong to ovoid, about 5 mm long, brown. The generic name commemorates Prof. G.W. Bischoff of Heidelberg, Germany, 1797-1854.

B. javanica is dioecious and flowers annually from 8 years onward. In west Java, flowering usually takes place in August-November (-December) and mature fruits can be found in (January-) February-June with a peak in March. In central Java, the fruiting period is from May to November, and in east Java from November-December.

The tree prefers deep, loose soils such as sandy, rocky or loamy soils with sufficient water content, occasionally it is found on limestone.

The tree prefers areas with a distinct dry season. It is common but usually found scattered in primary and old secondary dry and deciduous forest or monsoon forest but also in evergreen forest, swamp and teak forest, sometimes in more open places like savanna tracts. It is more frequent on riverbanks, shady ravines and prefers deep loose soils such as sandy, rocky or loamy soils with sufficient water content. In monsoon forest of Timor, it is found in association with Alstonia scholaris, Cordia subpubescens, Exocarpos latifolia, Ficus saxophila, Tetrameles nudiflora and Toona sureni.

The tree is planted locally for timber and as an ornamental. It has been introduced as a fast growing ornamental tree in East Africa, South Africa, and in the United States (California, Florida) where it has become a weed.

The tree can be propagated by seed, wildings and stem cuttings. Young plants need plenty of water, therefore direct sowing in the field is not appropriate. Stumps should be robust, at least 2.5 cm in diameter and shoot and root length 20 cm and 30 cm respectively.

The tree is well suited for large-scale plantations. In Java, it has been planted in pure stands at 2 m x 3 m, and in mixed plantations in alternating rows with Calophyllum inophyllum and Bombax ceiba at 1 m x 3 m, and with Acacia mearnsii at 2.5 m x 5 m. Self-pruning of thick branches is good once the canopy closes after about 5 years at a spacing of 2 m x 3 m. Closer planting reduces this period. Pruning wounds heal well and the tree survives girdling. In Java, an 8-year-old pure plantation with a spacing of 2 m x 3 m yielded 12 m³/ha of clear-bole wood.

In Java, young trees are heavily attacked by top and twig-borers, causing failure of plantations in less suitable locations. Caterpillars of Mtanastria hyrtaca and Selepa celtis feed on the foliage. In Indonesia, Corticium salmonicolor and Glomerella cingulata of which the conidial state is Colletotrichum gloeosporoides, fungi attack the tree. In southern China, the tree suffers severely from witches’ broom. The wood is susceptible to Lyctus and dry-wood termite attack, longhorn and ambrosia beetles as well as wood-rotting fungi.

There are 61 500-90 000 seeds/kg. Seed storage behaviour is uncertain, viability maintained for 3 months in open storage at room temperature, after which it is reduced. Seed may be collected in large quantities and can be stored for up to 6 months. Seed may be sown under shade or full sunlight, provided water is adequate. Germination starts 1-3 weeks after sowing and after 5-6 weeks about 70 % of the seed have germinated.

Shade or shelter: In India, the tree is considered to be an excellent shade tree in coffee and cardamom plantations. Reclamation: B. javanica is used for afforestation. Ornamental: The tree has been introduced as a fast-growing ornamental in Africa and the USA. Intercropping: B. javanica is often intercropped in traditional agriculture.

Food: The young soft leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Fuel: Although the wood is not suitable as a fuelwood, it is used for charcoal production. Fibre: The tree is a potential source of long fibres for pulp and paper production. Timber: Bishop wood is medium-weight and moderately hard. The heartwood is purplish-brown to reddish-brown and is sharply differentiated from the narrow, pale brown to pale reddish-brown sapwood. The density is 520-1 010 kg/m³ at 15 % moisture content, grain is generally interlocked, texture moderately fine to rather coarse and even, wood surface dull to slightly glossy. Fresh wood smells of vinegar. It is used for general construction (beams, posts), bridges, decking, sleepers, mining props, flooring, interior finish, veneer, plywood, implements, carving etc. Tannin or dyestuff: A red dye obtained from the bark is used to stain rattan baskets. The bark also contains about 16 % tannin that is employed in the toughening of nets and ropes. Medicine: B. javanica has been shown to have antiulcer, anthelmintic and antidysenteric activities.