Chittagong wood
Chukrasia tabularis A.Juss.
Chittagong wood (Chukrasia tabularis) is a large tree native to South and Southeast Asia, prized for its golden, fine-grained timber used for fine furniture and veneer.
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Chittagong wood — PlantChittagong wood — Leaves
Chittagong wood — Seeds & young plants
Chittagong wood — Plant
Chittagong wood — Trunk & bark
Chittagong wood — Seeds & young plantsChittagong wood — PlantChittagong wood — LeavesOverview
A tree that sheds its leaves in the dry season, 20–30 m tall, with a straight cylindrical trunk and grey-brown, longitudinally fissured bark. Leaves are pinnate, 30–50 cm long; small creamy-white flowers form clusters; ovoid capsules hold many thin-winged seeds.
The wood is pale to golden brown with a silky sheen, fine texture, easy to work and dimensionally stable, and is used for quality furniture, veneer, musical instruments and cabinetwork. In Vietnam it is planted in plantations and on farms for timber; the bitter bark and seeds are used sparingly in traditional medicine.
Life cycle
From seed to productSeed
Winged seeds disperse by wind; sown in moist nursery beds under light shade until germination.
Sapling
Light-demanding saplings grow fast; weeding and pruning keep the trunk straight and the crown even.
Mature tree
Trees 20–30 m tall drop their leaves in the dry season, then flush new foliage and flowers; fruits ripen late in the wet season.
Timber harvest
After 25–40 years the timber is harvested and sawn for fine joinery.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- India · Nepal28%
- South China22%
- Vietnam22%
- Other Southeast Asia18%
- Other plantings10%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Chukrasia limonoidsBitter, mildly antimicrobial0%
Uses
- Fine furniture, veneer and musical instruments
- Plantations and shade timber tree
- Bark and seeds used sparingly in traditional medicine
Properties
- Wood
- Golden, fine, medium-hard
- Foliage
- Pinnate, dropped in dry season
- Growth
- Fast, light-demanding
Habitat & conservation
Seasonal tropical forest, secondary forest and stream banks of South and Southeast Asia; grows on deep, moist, well-drained soils from lowland to about 1,000 m.
Conservation
Globally Least Concern because of its wide range, but its valuable timber is heavily logged in many areas; in Vietnam plantations should be expanded to relieve pressure on natural forest.
References
- 1Plants of the World Online — Chukrasia tabularis — Kew Science, 2024
- 2IUCN Red List — Chukrasia tabularis — IUCN, 2018
- 3PROSEA — Timber trees: Chukrasia — PROSEA, 1994
- 4Hình ảnh minh hoạ lấy từ Wikimedia Commons, tôn trọng giấy phép ghi kèm — Wikimedia Commons,
- 5Nguồn ảnh: Vinayaraj (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: Rohit Naniwadekar (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 7Nguồn ảnh: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India (CC BY-SA 2.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
- 8Nguồn ảnh: Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (France). Programme Bois. Producteur d'un fonds d'archives (Public domain), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,