Fagraea fragrans Roxb.

A medium-sized or occasionally large tree up to 25(-55) m tall, bole up to 135(-250) cm in diameter, oocasionally fluted or with buttresses up to 2.5 m high, bark surface deeply irregularly fissured, dark brown, inner bark brown to yellow. Leaves oblong-lanceolate to obovate-oblong , 4-15 cm x 1.5-6 cm, apex usually short to long broadly acuminate, secondary veins slightly prominent to indistinct below, petiole 1-2.5 cm long, stipules rounded and partly free from petiole. Inflorescence axillary, pedicel with bracteoles at or below the middle; flowers fragrans, corolla tube narrowly funnel-shaped, 0.7-2.3 cm long, stigma capitate, faintly 2-lobed. Fruit broadly ellipsoid, 0.7-1 cm long; orange or red. F. fragrans is highly variable. Some botanist do not agree with the broad concept of the species and split off F. gigantea (a large canopy tree with more regularly fissured bark and leaves with an undulating margin and only 5 or 6, not c. 8, pairs of secondary veins) and F. wallichiana (with broader leaves, larger flowers and larger more ellipsoid fruits) as distinct species. The development of F.fragrans trees is according to AubrÚville's architectural model ( 'pagoda habit' or 'terminal branching') the growth being determined by a monopodial trunk with rhythmic growth, bearing whorled branch tiers, with branches plagiotropic by opposition, and branch modules indeterminate due to lateral flowering.

Fruiting of F. fragrans is 3-4(-7.5) months after anthesis. Seed dispersal in mainly by birds, not rarely by bats, and apparently also by ants.

It grows well on poorly aerated, compact clay soils, and on poor sandy or shallow sandstone soil.

F. fragrans occurs in light primary and secondary forest in humid or seasonally inundated locations, but it avoids stagnant water. In freshwater-swamp forest it is found in association with Melaleuca spp. It also occurs naturally as a pioneer in burnt-over areas and lalang grasslands.

F. fragrans is planted in trial plantations in South America.

Fresh seed has a viability of 65-80% and germinates in 15 days to over 2 months. F.fragrans seed with an initial viability of 80% still had 65% viability after being stored for 3 months in air-tight containers. Fruit should be macerated by hand to extract the seeds, which should then be washed and dried. Allowing the seed to ripen for 1 month after collection is reported, but immediate sowing also gives good results. The whole berry can also be sown, but then seedlings do not appear until after 6 weeks. The very fine seed should be mixed with fine sand and sown under light shade and needs protection from ants. Watering should be done by spraying. The seedlings can be transplanted to open nursery beds or containers after 2 months, when 5-7 cm high, and they can be planted out in the field when 30-45 cm high with adhering soil clump. Stumps of F. fragrans have been used, but these show a strong tendency to produce multiple shoots, leading to trees with up to five stems. Cuttings with several internodes taken from the branches of mature trees failed to root, but when taken from coppice shoots they rooted successfully. In-vitro propagation proved possible from rooted cuttings, but failed using explants from 10-year-old trees.

Plantation: Plantations of F. fragrans in Java were established with a spacing of 2.5-3 m x 1 m. As it is a light demander, forming a very light canopy, it is necessary to mix these plantations with shade-tolerant species to control weed growth. Mixing with Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth. subsp. bancana (Miq.) Bloembergen has been very successful. F. fragrans is considered a useful plantation species, as it is adaptable and hardy. It can be planted on poor or degraded but well-drained soils and even in lalang (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeuschel) grasslands, where it suppresses this noxious grass. The corky bark of F. fragrans gives it some resistance to fire; an 8-year-old platation in lalang grassland suffered no damage from a passing fire. Husbandry: Double stem should be removed. Thinning in cycles of 5 years up to the age of 30 years is appropriate for plantations; thereafter every 10 years. The lower branches are very persistent and prunning these promotes height growth. F. fragrans reproduce easily by means of root suckers and coppice freely; locally, trees may be often pollarded for poles. A rotation of 15 years for F. fragrans planted in lalang fields is expected to yield good poles; plantations have an estimated rotation of 100 years for sawn-timber production for house and bridge construction. Natural regeneration is best in more or less open locations.

Seeds can be stored for 6 months, but they lose their viability very soon when kept inside the fruit. One kg contains about 5 million seeds of F. fragrans.

Ornamental: The tree is planted as an ornamental tree in parks and along roads Reclamation: For reforestation purposes. Shade or shelter: The tree is planted as a shade tree in parks and along roads

Fuel: The wood yields a very high-quality fuelwood and charcoal. Medicine: A decoction of the bark is used as a febrifuge, and a decoction of twigs and leaves is used to control dysentery. Timber: F. fragrans is the main source of tembesu timber. The valuable and durable timber is used both as sawn wood as well as roundwood for posts and piles in the construction of houses, bridges and ships, and for railway sleepers, posts for electric and telephone lines, barrels, chopping blocks, furniture, cabinet work, door and windows sills and wood carvings.