Azadirachta excelsa

Description

Azadirachta excelsa (commonly known as sentang) is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It grows up to 50 metres (160 ft) tall with a trunk diameter of up to 120 centimetres (50 in). The bark is pinkish grey or pinkish brown. The sweetly scented flowers are creamy-white. The fruits are ellipsoid, green turning yellow at maturity, up to 3.2 cm (1 in) long. The specific epithet excelsa is from the Latin meaning "lofty". Its habitat is rain forests from sea level to 350 metres (1,000 ft) altitude. A. excelsa is native to Malesia and Vietnam. The young shoots, leaves and flowers are eaten raw in salads, and cooked as a vegetable. Seed products of Azadirachta species have been used for a long time in traditional medicine. The young shoots and flowers are used to treat stomach diseases and nasal problems. The oil is used to make soap. The timber has been used for construction work (joinery, interior finishing and flooring) and for furniture, fancy articles, carving, turnery etc.