Akasia | Angsana | Asam Jawa | Jambu Laut | Jemerlang | Ketapang | Mambu | Mempari | Pukul Lima | Sentang
Family: Meliaceae
Synonyms: Azadirachta integrifolia Merr.,
Azedarach excelsa (Jack) Kuntze, Melia excelsa
Jack, Trichilia excelsa (Jack) Spreng.
Vernacular/common names: sentang (trade name).
The species is closely related to neem, Azadirachta
indica A.Juss., which has a more westerly distribution
and grows in dryer areas. Intermediate forms
(hybrids) are believed to occur where the distribution
of the species overlaps. The genus is closely related
to Melia, in which it was formerly included.
Distribution and habitat
A lowland humid forest species of SE Asian - Pacific
region that mainly grows in old clearings or old secondary
forest but also in primary dipterocarp forest.
Native to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo,
Sulawesi, the Philippines, the Aru Islands and New
Guinea. Widely planted, although rarely outside its
native region.
It is found up to about 350 m altitude and best growth is obtained in areas with annual rainfall of more than 2000 mm, mean annual temperature of 22- 27°C and with a dry season of no more than 2 – 3 months. It does not tolerate cold or frost.
Requires good quality soil, preferably sandy-loam soils with good drainage and aeration, with pH of 5.0- 6.5. Growth rates on level land are better than on slopes or in mountainous areas.
There are no breeding trials or known provenance trials for A. excelsa. Current planting material originates almost exclusively from unselected trees.
Uses
Sentang wood is valued for light construction, furniture,
panelling and veneer.
The young shoots and flowers are consumed as a
vegetable. The tree is commonly planted along
roadsides, and farm boundaries or in rubber
plantations.
Like neem, the seeds contain azadirachtin, which is
used as an insecticide.
In agroforestry, young plantations of A. excelsa are
used for intercropping with rice, peanuts, mung
beans, soybeans and vegetables.
Botanical description
Deciduous tree up to 50 m tall, bole up to 125 cm in
diameter, without buttresses. Leaves paripinnately
compound, up to 60 (-90) cm long, with 7-11 pairs of
leaflets. Leaflets asymmetrical, lanceolate to elliptical,
up to 12.5 cm long and 3.5 cm, wide, margin entire
(not serrate as in neem). Flowers small greenishwhite
in up to 70 cm long panicles.
Fruit and seed description
The fruit is a 1-seeded, oblong drupe, 2.5-3.2 cm long
with fleshy mesocarp with white latex. Young fruits
are green, turning yellow at maturity. The seeds are
20-25 mm long, 10-12 mm wide. There are about 500
pyrenes (seed + endocarp) per kg.
Flowering and fruiting habit
There are great variations in flowering and fruiting
time between localities. In north Thailand, the leaves
are shed in January-February, and the new leaves
emerge immediately thereafter; flowering occurs
from February to March. In Thailand, fruits mature
between June and July at lower latitudes towards the
Malaysian border whereas at higher altitudes they
mature earlier, between May and June.
Seed production is normally good and occurs every
year.
