ဘန့်ဘွေး

Myanmar Name – Bambwe

Common Name – Wild guava, Ceylon oak, Patana oak

Botanical Name – Careya arborea Roxb.

Family Name – Lecythiadceae

Habitat – Native to the Indian subcontinent and is primarily found in South Asia. Its distribution range includes countries in the Indian subcontinent, such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

Habit – Medium-sized to large deciduous tree, often reaching heights of 15-20 meter with a straight trunk and a broad, spreading crown. 30 cm in DBH.

Bark – The bark is greyish-brown to brown in color, and sometimes appear darker due to weathering and aging, rough. It can be deeply furrowed, especially in older trees, with irregular ridges  relatively thick.

Leaves – The leaf is simple type, alternate in arrangement, and clustered at the ends of the branches, oblong or elliptical in shape, dark green in color and 15-30 centimeters in length. The leaf margins are usually entire, and leathery or coriaceous in texture.

Inflorescence – The inflorescence is a terminal panicle with numerous individual flowers. The number of flowers in a single inflorescence can vary, 3 to 6 flowers.

Flower – The flowers are large, attractive, fragrant and 5-8 cm in diameter. They are typically white or pale yellow in color. The flowers have a tubular shape with a flaring, five-lobed corolla and are about 5-8 centimeters in diameter.

Fruit – The fruit is a large, woody capsule, which is spherical and often up to 6-8 centimeters in diameter. The fruit has a hard, thick, and woody shell.

Seed – Inside the woody fruit capsule, there are several seeds. These seeds are flat, oblong, and surrounded by a papery wing that aids in wind dispersal.

Flowering and Fruiting Time – Flowering time from March to June and Fruiting time from July to September.

Usage – The bark, sepals are well known in traditional medicine, use for coughs and colds and applied externally as an embrocation.