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Irvingia malayana Oliv. ex A.W.Benn.
| Family Name: | Irvingiaceae |
| Common Name: | Pauh Kijang, Barking Deer's Mango |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) |
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| Plant Growth Form | Tree |
| Maximum Height | 61 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Borneo |
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| Native Habitat | Terrestrial |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical |
| Local Conservation Status | Native to Singapore (Critically Endangered (CR)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a more or less deciduous tree up to 61 m tall, with steep buttresses. Its bark is greyish to whitish, and scaly to rather flaky. |
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| Foliage | Its alternate, stalked leaves have thinly leathery leaf blades that are oval-oblong to lance-shaped, pointed, and 8–20 by 2.5–9 cm, with often rounded bases. They have 10–16 pairs of lateral veins that loop and join at the margins. |
| Flowers | Its small flowers are greenish-white or yellowish, about 6.4 mm wide, and arranged on much-branched shoots. These shoots are up to 15 cm long and found from the leaf axils. |
| Fruit | Its fruits are slightly flattened, yellowish when mature, up to 6 by 4 cm, and resemble mangoes. They contain 1 or 2 seeds in orange, fleshy fruit pulp. |
| Habitat | It grows in primary rainforests on clay-rich soil, up to 300 m altitude. It occurs locally in the forests in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and the vicinity of MacRitchie Reservoir. |
| Associated Fauna | Its flowers are insect-pollinated. It is also the preferred local food plant for caterpillars of the moths Striglina asinine and Striglina divisata. |
| Cultivation | It can be propagated by seed. |
| Etymology | Latin Irvingia, commemorating E. G. Irving (1816–1855), a Scottish botanist; Latin malayana, of Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia), referring to one locality in the natural distribution of this species. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Edible Plant Parts : Edible Fruits, Edible Seeds Food (Fruit or Vegetable) Others: The wood is used to make knife handles. The fruit and seeds are edible, and sweet tasting. The seeds contain a creamy-yellow, nice-smelling fat known as dika that is used for making candles, soap, and wax. |
Landscaping Features
| Landscape Uses | Parks & Gardens |
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Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna | Caterpillar Moth Food Plant |
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Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun |
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| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
Foliar
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
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| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Leathery |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower Colour(s) | Cream / Off-White, Green - Light Green |
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Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Green, Green - Light Green, Yellow / Golden |
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References
| References | Corner, E.J.H. 1988. Wayside Trees of Malaya Volume 1 & 2. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Malayan Nature Society. 861 Kulip, J. & K. M. Wong. 1995. Simaroubaceae. Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak.. 1: 421−442. Nooteboom, H. P.. 1951. Simaroubaceae. Flora Malesiana, Series I. 6: 193−226 |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 2008 |
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| Species ID | 3300 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |