Canarium bengalense

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions in Asia. In China, it is primarily found within the South-Central and Southeast territories. Its presence extends into the Indian Subcontinent, specifically documented in Assam and Bangladesh. Furthermore, the species can be located within the Indo-China region, particularly in Laos. These diverse habitats highlight the wide ecological range of Canarium bengalense.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Canarium bengalense is closely tied to its specific altitudinal distribution within its native habitat. This species thrives across a diverse vertical gradient, occupying various montane and sub-montane niches. It is typically found at elevations ranging from a minimum of 400 m AMSL to a maximum of 1300 m AMSL. On average, the plant is most commonly situated at a mean elevation of 850 m AMSL, a positioning that suggests a preference for mid-elevation ecological zones where environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and soil composition are optimally balanced for its growth and development.

Elevational range max:

1300 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

850 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

400 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Canarium bengalense is characterized by its status as a perennial species, ensuring its long-term presence within its ecological niche. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive buds are elevated on woody stems well above the ground, a structural adaptation that defines its growth habit. This plant maintains an evergreen deciduousness, meaning it retains its foliage throughout the year, providing continuous photosynthetic activity and structural stability across various seasons.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Canarium bengalense is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody tree. This species is a self-supporting, terrestrial plant that grows independently, lacking any parasitic or epiphytic tendencies. It exhibits significant vertical development, with plant heights ranging from a minimum of 15 m to a maximum of 25 m, maintaining an average height of approximately 22.5 m. As a non-climbing, self-supporting woody organism, it establishes a stable structural presence within its terrestrial habitat.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

25 m

Plant height mean:

22.5 m

Plant height min:

15 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Canarium bengalense is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. Morphologically, the leaf structure displays significant variability in dimensions, with leaf lengths typically averaging 15 cm, ranging from a minimum of 10 cm to a maximum of 20 cm. The leaf width follows a similar pattern of variation, maintaining a mean width of 5.25 cm, with observed minimum widths of 4.5 cm and maximum widths reaching up to 6 cm. Regarding its nutrient acquisition strategies, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on other soil-based nitrogen uptake mechanisms to support its physiological development and growth.

Leaf length max:

20 cm

Leaf length mean:

15 cm

Leaf length min:

10 cm

Leaf width max:

6 cm

Leaf width mean:

5.25 cm

Leaf width min:

4.5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Canarium bengalense is characterized by specific floral and fruit morphological parameters, beginning with its inflorescence, which typically measures between 0.3 m and 0.4 m in length. The plant exhibits a specialized reproductive strategy where self-fertilization is absent, suggesting a reliance on cross-pollination mechanisms. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fruits that vary in size, with an average length of 4.75 cm (ranging from a minimum of 4.5 cm to a maximum of 5 cm) and an average width of 1.9 cm (ranging from 1.8 cm to 2 cm). The reproductive cycle concludes with the development of seeds, which demonstrate high uniformity in mass, maintaining a consistent value of approximately 8.333 g.

Fruit length max:

5 cm

Fruit length mean:

4.75 cm

Fruit length min:

4.5 cm

Fruit width max:

2 cm

Fruit width mean:

1.9 cm

Fruit width min:

1.8 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.4 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.3 m

Seed mass mean:

8.333 g

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Canarium bengalense has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include stem.

Stem

1. Archives of pharmacal research

Conditions

Canarium bengalense has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include tumor.

Tumor

1. Archives of pharmacal research

Preparations

Canarium bengalense has 1 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include stem barks.

Stem barks

1. Archives of pharmacal research