Melodorum fruticosum
| Melodorum fruticosum | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. Thailand. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Magnoliales |
| Family: | Annonaceae |
| Genus: | Melodorum |
| Species: | M. fruticosum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melodorum fruticosum | |
Melodorum fruticosum, the white cheesewood (Thai: ลำดวน), is a plant of the Annonaceae family native to Southeast Asia. It is one of the two species considered the national flower of Cambodia. It is also the provincial flower of Sisaket province, Thailand.
Description
This plant has a cream-coloured flower with a single alternate leaf.[1] It gives out a pleasant fragrance, especially in the evening. It also has medical uses as a tonic and mild cardiac stimulant and hematinic.
This small tree reaches a height between 8 and 12 m. It is very common in Cambodia, where it is often planted as a decorative tree in public parks.[2]
In Thailand a traditional cookie called kleeb lamduan (กลีบ ลำดวน) is made in the shape of the flower.
References
- ^ "Melodorum fruticosum, White Cheesewood". TopTropicals.com - rare plants for home and garden.
- ^ "Romduol - National Flower of Cambodia". Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
External links
- Thailand, Sanook Online Ltd. "ลำดวน_(Melodorum_fruticosum_Lour.) (คืออะไร หมายถึง ความหมาย) - Sanook! กูรู". guru.sanook.com (in Thai). (in Thai)
- "ThaiHerb : Add-Edit" (in Thai). February 7, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-07. (in Thai)