Syzygium grande (Wight) Walp., Repert. 2 (1843)

Synonyms
Eugenia cymosa Roxb.
Eugenia firma Wall.
Eugenia grandis Wight
Eugenia laosensis Gagn.
Eugenia laosensis var. quocensis Gagnep.
Eugenia montana Wight [Illegitimate]
Jambosa firma Blume
Jambosa grandis (Wight) Blume
Syzygium endertii Merr. & Perry
Syzygium firmum (Blume) Thwaites
Syzygium gadgilii M.R.Almeida [Illegitimate]
Syzygium grande var. parviflorum Chantaran. & J.Parn.
Syzygium laosense (Gagn.) Merr. & Perry
Syzygium laosense var. quocense (Gagnep.) H.T.Chang & R.H.Miao
Syzygium megaphyllum Merr. & Perry
Syzygium montanum Thwaites & Hook.f.
Syzygium tamilnadensis Rathakr. & V.Chithra [Illegitimate]

Diagnostics
Upper canopy tree up to 45 m tall and 75(-80) cm dbh. Stipules absent. Leaves opposite, simple, penni-veined, venation prominent, glabrous. Flowers ca. 12 mm diameter, white-yellowish, protruding stamens, flowers in panicles. Fruits ca. 35 mm diameter, green?, fleshy berries.

Description
Large tree to 30(-45) m tall, 80 cm diameter, with dense dark crown of glossy leaves; bark pale grey- to pink-brown, becoming cracked and flaky; inner bark pink-brown. Parts hairless. Twig c.3 mm diameter, stout, terete, pale brown, smooth. Leaf blade c.16 x 9(12-20 x 6-10) cm, elliptic-ovate, leathery, without pits or dots, drying somewhat glistening above, dull dark warm chocolate-brown beneath; base wedge-shaped, tapering into c.16 mm stout petiole; apex bluntly broadly acuminate, down-curved; midrib stout; veins unequal, main veins c.16 pairs with long intermediates, distinctly raised throughout, prominent beneath, spreading; tertiaries distinctly raised throughout, lax; intramarginal veins 1(3) pairs, 3-6 mm within margin, arched. Panicle to 3-terminal or 1-subterminal axillary, to 14 cm long, rather slender, terete, 2-branched; bracts to 3 mm long, lanceolate, fugaceous. Flower bud c.10 x 6 mm, pear-shaped with spherical head and prominent to 8 mm tapering pseudostalk; sepal lobes 4, c.5 x 5 mm, broadly ovate, thick and hyaline at tips only, strongly unequal, obtuse, overlapping one another; stamens many, cream-white or sometimes pink, extruded 10 mm at anthesis, style 12 mm, the sepal lobes remaining erect. Fruit to 4 x 3 cm, ellipsoid, smooth, with prominent c.6 mm diameter apical calyx rim. [from Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak]

Ecology
In forest on rocky sea shores and sandy beaches behind the Casuarina, but also in undisturbed mixed dipterocarp, keranga, swamp and ultramafic forests up to 1700 m altitude. Often on alluvial sites near or along rivers and streams, but also on hillsides and ridges. On sandy soils.

Uses
Often planted as a shade tree, or fire break.

Distribution
Burma and Indo-China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo.

Local names
Borneo: Jambu air, Obar, Ubal pek, Ubar, War, War pulut.