Chukrasia tabularis

Family

Meliaceae

Botanical Name

Chukrasia tabularis A.Juss.

Jussieu, A.H.L. de (1830) Mem. Mus. Par. 19: 251. Type: India; Malaya.

Common name

White Cedar; Mahogany, East Indian; Indian Red Wood; East Indian Mahogany; Chittagong Wood; Chickrassia; Bastard Cedar; Cedar, White; Cedar, Bastard

Weed

*

Stem

Deciduous; leafless for a period in the dry season.

Leaves

Domatia are tufts of hair. Lateral leaflets unequal-sided (oblique) at the base. Compound leaf axis puberulent at least when young but not winged. Numerous pale brown circular or slightly elongated lenticels visible on the twigs. Leaflet blades about 10-17.5 x 3.5-6.5 cm.

Flowers

Calyx lobes obtuse. Petals about 12-16 mm long. Anthers ten, attached near the apex of the staminal tube.

Fruit

Fruits quite large, up to 4 x 3.5 cm. Seeds winged at one end.

Seedlings

Cotyledons obovate, about 12-15 x 7-11 mm. First pair of leaves pinnate and lobed. At the tenth leaf stage: upper surface of leaflet blades, leaflet stalks and main axis of compound leaf, hairy; domatia occur as small tufts of hairs.

Distribution and Ecology

An aggressive introduced species which produces large seed crops and large crops of seedlings which tend to form pure stands in disturbed rain forest. Originally from the India-SE Asia region, it has become naturalized on parts of the Atherton Tableland particularly where it was established in plantations, e.g. Gadgarra and Wongabel. Grows in rain forest and rain forest regrowth at elevations around 650-750 m.

NEQ

X

Tree

X

RFK Code

931