Eden

Penang Botanic Gardens Plant Collection

Saraca cauliflora Baker (FABACEAE)

Posted at — Nov 13, 2019
Gapis, Yellow Saraca, Yellow Asoka

Description

Medium sized evergreen tree to c. 20 m tall with dense spreading crown. Leaves with 5-7 pairs of leaflets, 25-80 cm long. Young pendulous flushes purplish-red before stiffening upon maturation. Flowers pale orange-yellow usually with red eye in dense clusters of 15-40 cm wide, mostly on main trunk and larger limbs. Fruits in large flattened pods, 30-45 cm long, purple to rich red-brown with 6-8 seeds in each pod.


Ecology

Locally abundant along streams and small rivers under shade.

Distribution

Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Java.

Uses

Often planted as street tree.