| Genus | Manilkara |
|---|---|
| Species | hexandra |
| Authority | (Roxb.) Dubard[1] |
| Synonyms | Mimusops hexandra Roxb. (basionym) |
Manilkara hexandra, the milk tree or Ceylon ironwood,[2] is a tree species in the tribe Sapoteae, in the family Sapotaceae. It is native to China; much of the Indian subcontinent: Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka; Indo-China: Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.[1]
Description
Manilkara hexandra is a slow-growing but fairly large evergreen species. It grows in tropical and temperate forests. The tree typically attains some 12 to 25 metres of height and one to three metres in trunk circumference. The bark is grayish and rough.
Uses
The wood is hard, durable, and heavy; the density is variously reported as ranging from about 0.83 to 1.08 tonnes per cubic metre, partly depending on the degree of drying.[3] It is used for heavy structural work, gate posts, and big beams.[4] but also is used for turning and carpentry in spite of the difficulties of working with such dense wood.[5]
It is used as rootstock for Manilkara zapota, and its own fruit is edible.[1]
References
- ^ Ann. Mus. Colon. Marseille ser. 3, 3:9, fig. 2. 1915
- ^
- ^ The Wood Database
- ^ Forest Department (1962). Timber and its uses. Sri Lanka.
- ^ Wood database: Workability
External links
- Malik, S. K.; Choudhary, Ravish; Kumar, Susheel; Dhariwal, O. P.; Deswal, R. P. S.; Chaudhury, Rekha (2012). "Socio-economic and horticultural potential of Khirni [Manilkara hexandra (Roxb.) Dubard]: a promising underutilized fruit species of India". Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 59 (6): 1255–1265. Bibcode:2012GRCEv..59.1255M. doi:10.1007/s10722-012-9863-1. S2CID 15072134