Careya arborea Roxb.

A deciduous, small to medium-sized tree up to 20 m tall; bark surface flaking in thin strips, fissured, dark grey; crown spreading. Leaves arranged spirally, often clustered at the apices of twigs, simple, broadly obovate, tapering at base, margin crenate-denticulate; stipules small, caducous. Flowers in a terminal, erect raceme, bisexual, large, white; calyx 4-lobed, coriaceous; petals 4, free; stamens many, connate at base; disk annular; ovary inferior, 4-5-locular with many ovules in 2 rows per cell, style 1. Fruit a large, many-seeded drupe, globose to depressed globose, crowned by the persistent sepals. Seedling with hypogeal germination; cotyledons absent (seed containing a swollen hypocotyl); shoot with scales at the first few nodes.

In eastern India new shoots develop in March-April and the trees flower during this period. Mature fruits can be observed in May.

It occurs on well-drained, sandy or even rocky soils.

C. arborea is light-demanding. It is found scattered but is locally common in primary or secondary, evergreen or deciduous, slightly seasonal forest, sometimes in more open country and along forest edges, and is absent from perhumid rain forest.

C. arborea can be propagated by seed. Seeds germinate for over 90% in 11-46 days.

In India the annual diameter increment can be up to 0.5 cm, but growth of coppice is faster, 0.6-0.9 cm in diameter for 8-year-old coppice shoots. The tree is highly fire resistant and coppices well.

Shade or shelter: C. arborea makes a good shade tree.

Food: The fruit is edible but the seeds are reported as slightly poisonous. Tannin or dyestuff: The fibrous bark contains a brown dye. Timber: The wood of C. arborea is used, mainly in India and Burma (Myanmar), for general construction (house posts, planking), furniture and cabinet work, carts, mouldings, turnery, piling and Agricultural implements. Other product: In India the tussar sikworm is fed on the leaves. Medicine: The fibrous bark has been applied medicinally for body swellings and is used locally for cordage.