Gmelina arborea

Native from Pakistan through South Asia to southern China and northern Indochina, this fast-growing deciduous tree is cultivated throughout the tropics. It can reach about one hundred feet tall. Its broad leaves have two conspicuous glands at the base, and its scented, two-lipped flowers combine orange-brown and yellow tones. Glossy yellow fruits ripen around a hard stone and have an edible, bittersweet flesh. Birds and bats disperse the seeds.

Its wood is used for furniture, plywood, paper pulp, light construction, matches and musical instruments, including Indian sitars and drums. The tree also provides livestock fodder, shade for coffee and cacao, and fuelwood. It has been planted in revegetation projects to shelter young forest trees, and its flowers supply nectar for honey production. Bark, leaves and roots have traditional medicinal uses in its native range. It has naturalized in the Cook Islands. Photographed in western Panama.