About This Tree
SAPOTACEAE (Star Apple family)
Tanjong tree is a small to large evergreen tree reaching a height of about twenty meters and one meter in circumference. The bark is mostly fissured, thick, tough and heavy with brownish black or grayish black in color on the exterior and dark red inside. The leaves are small and glossy dark green with wavy edge while the fruits are orange in colour with oval shape. Birds and squirrels often eat fruits from this tree as their food source.
Common Uses
These trees are commonly used in traditional Indian medicine to treat various ailments especially dental related problems. It is often said that chewing an unripe fruit can help in fixing loose teeth while the flowers are used for preparing a lotion for wounds and ulcers. Apart from medicinal uses, this tree is commonly planted as ornamental or roadside trees. The trunk is used as building materials and mostly suitable for heavy construction.
Interesting Facts!
- Its flower is the provincial flower of Yala Province, Thailand.
References:
http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/dna/organisms/details/357
Trees of UM 