Sea Tristania or Pelawan
Tristaniopsis obovata
Myrtle family (Myrtaceae)



Grey flaky trunk
The beauty of this tree lies in its grey-brown exfoliating bark, making it appear as if flecks of light are dancing on the trunk.
The leaves are characterized by having a relatively wide tip, a shape which botanists call obovate. The leaves are leathery, as is often found on tropical evergreen trees where the leaves remain attached for longer than one season. The tree can grow to a height of 45 meters but it never gets that tall in the Netherlands.
This tree belongs to the myrtle family and is native to Borneo, Sumatra and Malaysia where it is often found growing in coastal regions along rivers and in the rainforest. Tristaniopsis obovata is a typical plant of the so-called 'Soendaland Heidebos' or Kerangas vegetation (i.e. the tropical moist forest found on Borneo) and literally it means ‘the land where no rice grows’.
The tree is named after the French marquis and botanist, Tristan (1776-1861).
Themes

Crown jewel in the Zuidas Botanic Garden.

This tree has musky-scented flowers.

The wood is durable to very durable when exposed to weather or when in contact with the ground. It is resistant to termites and marine borers. It is used for many purposes, such as bridges, posts, pillars, beams, floors, bowling balls, tools, ship building and musical instruments. It is quite difficult to work because of the high degree of hardness and high silica content.
Details
Description: | Tree, up to 45 m tall. |
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Distributions: | Malaysian peninsula, singapore, sumatra, riau archipelago and borneo |
Habitat: | Lowland to lower montane forests, up to 1,300 m in altitude; often found scattered along rivers or near the coast. |
Year cycle: | Perennial (polycarpic evergreen) |
Flower color: | White |
Notes on flowers: | The small, white-petalled flowers develop in 2.5-5 cm long green tints on the buds. |
Fruit color: | Brown, orange |
Notes on fruits: | The capsular fruits are 6 by 5-6 mm; when ripe it splits into three to release many flat seeds. |