General Background
Tree with white sap, but not in large amounts. Leaves in whorls of usually 3 leaves, lower surface pale greenish white, secondary veins not placed as close as some other members of the genus. Fruits very long and narrow, greenish, placed in pairs; splitting open to expose many small seeds with two tufts of hairs for wind dispersal.
A small to medium-sized tree up to 35(-45) m tall, bole fluted or with small or steep buttresses, up to 70 cm in diameter, outer bark smooth, fissured or scaly, inner bark yellowish, without latex; leaves usually in whorls of 3, oblanceolate, 4-18 cm x 1.5-7 cm, acuminate, with 10-20 pairs of secondary veins, petiole 8-30 mm long; inflorescence many-flowered, pedicel 0.5-2 mm long, calyx and corolla densely tomentose outside; follicles glabrous. Seeds small and with hairs for wind dispersal.
Can be found in primary forest, seasonal peat swamps or hillsides, on sandy or granitic soils at 5-750(-1700) m altitude of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Bangka and Borneo. Known as in Indonesia: medang pasir (Bangka), pulai pipit (Palembang); Malaysia: itai setapoh, pulai (Peninsular), mergalang (Sarawak).
Basic info of Alstonia angustifolia
|
Order |
: Gentianales |
|
Family |
: Apocynaceae |
|
Genus |
: Alstonia |
|
Species |
: Alstonia
angustifolia |
|
Common
name |
: Pulai |
|
Synonyms |
: Alstonia
beccarii (Benth.) Pichon |
|
|
Alstonia latifolia (King &
Gamble) Ridl. |
|
|
Amblyocalyx
beccarii Benth. |
