Melodorum fruticosum

Melodorum fruticosum
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. Thailand.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Annonaceae
Genus: Melodorum
Species: M. fruticosum
Binomial name
Melodorum fruticosum
(Lour.) Merr.

White Cheesewood, Melodorum fruticosum (Thai: ลำดวน), is a plant of the Annonaceae family native to South-East 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. Khmer women have been compared to the Rumdul flower in ancient Cambodian literature and folklore.[2]

Traditional Thai cookies in the shape of the ลำดวน (lom duom) flower

In Thailand a traditional cookie, also called ลำดวน (lom duom), is made in the shape of the flower.

See also

References

  1. ↑ White Cheesewood - Melodorum fruticosum
  2. ↑ Romduol - National Flower of Cambodia

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, February 01, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.