Cratoxylum arborescens (Vahl) Blume, Mus. Bot. Lugd. Bat. 2 (1852)

Latin for 'tree'.

Synonyms
Ancistrolobus glaucescens Turcz.
Cratoxylum arborescens var. miquelii King
Cratoxylum cuneatum Miq.
Hypericum arborescens Vahl
Hypericum coccineum Wall.

Diagnostics
Emergent tree up to 60 m tall and 120 cm dbh. Stem with white to yellow latex. Leaves evergreen, opposite, simple, penni-veined, secondary veins joining to form an intra-marginal vein, glabrous, venation inconspicuous. Infloresences terminal. Flowers ca. 8 mm diameter, white-pink-red, placed in panicles, petals without nectary glands. Fruits ca. 8 mm long, red-brown-black, dehiscent capsule, with many small round winged seeds.

Description
Tree, up to 60 m tall and 120 cm diameter, evergreen, glabrous; bark scaly, reddish; young shoots with interpetiolar scar continuous. Leaves with petiole 5-10 mm, 5-16 by 2-6 cm, obovate-oblong to obovate- oblanceolate or elliptic (2-4 times longer than broad), apex acute to cuspidate, base cuneate to attenuate, usually coriaceous, not or scarcely glaucous or papillose beneath. Inflorescence a many-flowered terminal pyramidal panicle; pedicels 1.5-3 mm. Flowers homostylous. Sepals 3.5-6 by 2-4.5 mm. Petals deep red or very rarely orange or white, 4.5-7 by 2.5-5 mm; nectary scale up to 1 mm, often deeply laciniate. Stamen fascicles 4-5 mm, with stamens relatively congested, 30-40 per fascicle; anther gland absent? Staminodial fascicles (if well developed) greenish yellow, flattened, obovate, cucullate. Ovary 1.5-2 mm long; styles 1.5-3 mm. Capsule 7-9 by c. 4 mm, c. 1.75 times as long as sepals, cylindric, with columella half as long as capsule. Seeds 10-18 per loculus, c. 5 by 0.8 mm, narrowly oblong. [from Flora Malesiana]

Ecology
In undisturbed to slightly disturbed mixed dipterocarp, keranga, (peat)-swamp and sub-montane forests up to 1800 m altitude. Mostly on alluvial sites and along rivers, but also found on ridges on sandy soils.

Uses
The wood is locally used to make shingles and for indoor construction.

Distribution
Burma, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo.

Local names
Borneo: Dat, Di'it, Geroking, Geronggang, Gerungggang, Idat, Kata mudung, Labakan, Madak, Manat, Mertilan, Serungan, Serungan labakan, Tat.
Sumatra: geronggang, gronggang; lede (Atjeh), kalat (Riouw), ampet, idat (Banka), kaju dori (Billiton), kaju si pare-pare (Asahan).