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Aglaia argentea
Also called Aglaia
Aglaia argentea is a species of plants in the family Meliaceae. It is a tree found in Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Thailand.
The tree produces edible fruits that are often cultivated and eaten without the seeds in East Asia and some of the Pacific islands. The bark of the tree has steroids that were isolated to use as cytotoxins to help with some forms of cancer such as leukaemia. A. argentea is also known for a naturally occurring chemical called rocaglamide which contains properties that are useful as insecticides, antifungals, and antibacterial applications. In addition to the antibacterial properties, rocaglamide is also helpful with leukaemia much like the steroids mentioned before. Its timber is commonly used as a substitute for mahogany and it is also a great coloniser when regenerating forests and wildlife in areas where rainforests have been destroyed in the past.
This species is found in well-developed rainforests and other humid lowland areas. It grows in wet tropical areas of east Asia, Australia, and some of the Pacific islands. It thrives on full sunlight and moderate amounts of water. It is also successful on many different soil types, such as: basalt, clay, coral sand, granite, limestone and sandstone. It is pollinated by insects and the seeds are commonly dispersed by birds that eat the fruit.
Aglaia agglomerata · Aglaia aherniana · Aglaia amplexicaulis · Aglaia angustifolia · Aglaia apiocarpa · Aglaia archboldiana · Brown Ripples · Aglaia barbanthera · Aglaia basiphylla · Aglaia beccarii · Aglaia bourdillonii · Aglaia brassii
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Aglaia argentea by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
