Hopea odorata
| Hopea odorata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leaves of Hopea odorata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Dipterocarpaceae |
| Genus: | Hopea |
| Species: | H. odorata |
| Binomial name | |
| Hopea odorata | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
List
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Hopea odorata, or Ta-khian (Thai: ตะเคียน), is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.[1] It is a large tree reaching up to 45 m in height with the base of the trunk reaching a diameter of 4.5 m. It grows in forests, preferably near rivers, at altitudes between 0 and 600m. In places such as West Bengal and the Andaman Islands it is often planted as a shade tree.[3] Valued for its wood, it is a threatened species in its natural habitat.[4]
Traditions
In Thailand this tree is believed to be inhabited by a certain tree spirit known as Lady Ta-khian (Thai: นางตะเคียน),[5] belonging to a type of ghosts related to trees known generically as Nang Mai (นางไม้).[6] In Cambodia it is known as the koki and the legend of the founding of Wat Phnom in Cambodia refers to the finding of Buddha statues in a koki tree floating in the river.
Gallery
A leaf of Hopea odorata
Lengths of brocade tied around the exposed roots of a Hopea odorata tree (ตะเคียน) growing on a steep slope as an offering to Nang Ta-khian
Hopea odorata at Hùng Temple, Vietnam
References
- 1 2 Ashton, P. 1998. Hopea odorata
- ↑ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ↑ AgroForestryTree Database - Species information
- ↑ 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Archived 2014-06-27 at the Wayback Machine. Downloaded on 21 August 2007.
- ↑ Nang Ta-khian
- ↑ Spirits
External links
- Hopea odorata Roxb.