Manilkara hexandra is a species in the tribe Sapoteae, in the
Sapotaceae family that is native to much of south Asia (China:
Hainan and southern Guangxi provinces; the Indian Subcontinent:
Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka; Indo-China: Cambodia, Myanmar,
Thailand and Vietnam.
M. hexandra is a slow-growing evergreen tree that grows in
tropical and temperate forests. It grows t tall and 1 to 3 meters in
circumference. The bark is grayish black and rough. The wood is very
hard, heavy, and very durable, weighing 70 pounds per cubic foot.
The bark colour ranges from dark pink to dark purple. It is used for
heavy structural work, gate posts, and big beams.
It is used as rootstock for M. zapota, the latter being grafted
on the former, and its fruit is edible.
It is commonly called called "Palu" in Sinhalese or Palai
and Rayan
French name: Sapotier-lait,
English name: Milky tree |
