About Neolamarckia cadamba

Neolamarckia cadamba, commonly called Cadamba, is a fast-growing large tropical tree with a straight cylindrical bole and large canopy, and possesses
self-pruning characteristics. Cadamba is also a coppicing species, meaning that it regrows upon harvest, as long as a healthy stump remains. Coppicing has been successfully conducted three times in existing plantations.

It is native to South and South East Asia growing from India to the Philippines and from Cambodia to Northern Australia.

It has scented orange flowers in dense globe-shaped clusters. The flowers are used in perfumes.

The tree is grown as an ornamental plant and used for timber and paper-making. The tree is also featured in Indian religions and mythologies.

Botany

Neolamarckia cadamba is a large tree with a broad umbrella-shaped crown and straight cylindrical bole. The branches are characteristically arranged in tiers. The tree may reach a height of 45 m with a stem diameter of 100 – 160 cm and a clear bole of more than 9 m. The bark is grey, smooth and very light in young trees, but turns darker in older trees with an exfoliating nature.

The branches spread horizontally and drop at the tip. The leaves are glossy green, opposite, simple sessile to petiolate, ovate to elliptical (15 – 50 cm long by 8 – 25 cm wide). In young fertilised trees, the leaves are much larger, subordinate at base and acuminate at the apex; the stipules are interpetiolar, narrowly triangular and deciduous.

The flowers of the tree are small and orange colour in dense terminal globose heads, 2.5 to 5 cm in diameter however the fruit (see pictures below) is a pseudocarp; is a globose, orange fleshy mass of closely packed capsules containing approximately 8000 seeds. The seeds are somewhat trigonal or irregular shaped, not winged.

Technical Information

Average Base Diameter
Approximately 6” – 8” in 2 years (27 ft – 30 ft in height)
Approximately 12” – 14” in 7 years (Up to 120 ft)
Mature Tree 100 cm – 160 cm

Maximum Growth Height
Approximately 45 m / 150 ft

Plantation Altitude
10 – 900 m above sea level

Other Suitable Land Conditions
High Water Table, Low Lying Areas, Waterlogged Areas

Soil Type
Wide range of suitable soil: Ultisol, Oxisol, Vertisol, Andisol, Inceptisol, Spodosol, Entisol

Tolerance to Water Logging / Flooding
After sapling stage, tolerant for 2 – 3 months at a time

Germination & Survivability
Sowing from pulp seed: 4 – 5%
Sieved and winnowed seed: 50 – 52%
Our proprietary propagation technique: >97%

Coppicing
Upon harvesting, a 25 – 32cm healthy stump is sufficient for the tree to regenerate itself through new growth

Taxonomy & Other Names

Botanical name: Neolamarckia cadamba
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Cinchonoideae

Synonyms

Anthocephalus Chinensis (Lamk.) A. Rich. Ex. Walp.
Anthocephalus Macrophyllus (Roxb.) Havil.
Nauclea cadamba (Roxb.)
Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser
Sarcocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Kurz.
Anthocephalus Indicus A. Rich.

Vernacular/Common Names

Cambodia: Thkoow
Malaysia: Kelampayan, Laran, Selimpoh
Indonesia: Bengkal, Ilan, Jabon, Kelampayan, Kelempi, Pontua, Sugi Manai, Taloh
Philippines: Kaatoan Bangkal
Myanmar: Mau, Mau-lettan-she, Maukadon, Yemau
Thailand: Krathum, Krathum-bok, Taku
Australia: Burflower
Chinese: Dà yè huáng liángmù (大叶黄梁木)
Brunei: Bangkal, Kaatoan Bangkal
Laos: Loo-somz, Sako
Papua New Guinea: Labula
Vietnam: C[aa]y G[as]o, C[af] Tom, G[as]o Tr[aws]ng
Arabic: Kadam

Features & Uses

White to creamy white colour
Straight grain with fine to medium texture
Light hardwood with multiple uses

Wood

Plywood
Veneer
Pulp & Paper
Furniture
Wood Stationery
Light Construction
Boxes

Fruits/Flowers

Attar – Indian perfume with sandalwood base

Traditional Medical Uses

Digestive disturbances
Parasitic infection
High cholesterol and triglycerides
Antibacterial activity
Musculoskeletal diseases
Fungal infections
Cancer
Anti-diabetic activity

Other

Alkaloids (cadamine & isocadamine) in mouthwash, gargles, medicinal treatments
Bark in medicinal treatments
Roots in yellow dye production
High Lignin content for biopolymers and biofuels

Wood & Uses

Characteristics of the Wood

Cadamba is a lightweight hardwood.

The heartwood is white with a yellow tinge darkening to creamy yellow on exposure, and not clearly differentiated from sapwood. The wood has a fine to medium texture, straight grain and low lustre and has no characteristic odour or taste.

The wood density ranges from 290 – 560 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content with typical ranges at 420 – 465 kg/m³.

The wood is easy to work with hand and machine tools, cuts cleanly, gives a very good surface, and is easy to nail. It is very easy to preserve using either open-tank or pressure-vacuum systems. It can also be easily impregnated with synthetic resins to increase its density and compressive strength.

The timber air-dries rapidly with little to no degradation. To prevent blue stain, the wood has to be worked up soon after cutting, or it should either be treated within 48 hours or submerged in water.

Graveyard tests in Indonesia show that the average life of wood in contact with the ground is approximately 1.5 years.

Uses

Cadamba wood is commonly used in the variety of applications such as ceiling boards, light construction material, plywood, veneer, pencil making, match splints, pulp wood for paper, packing cases, crates, etc. When properly seasoned and treated, Cadamba wood is also used for furniture, flooring, toys, tea-chests, carvings, etc.

The tree as a whole is also suitable for aesthetic purposes and as a result is often planted along roadsides. The fruits, leaves, seeds, and bark have extensive medicinal properties. The root bark is also used for natural yellow dye.

Due to the self-pruning nature of Cadamba, it has heavy leaf-shedding properties which increases the organic carbon content in the soil. The fresh leaves are often mixed with animal feed, whilst the fruits and inflorescences are also reportedly edible. The scented orange flowers attract honey bees as pollinators, moreover they are an important raw material used in the Indian perfumes with sandalwood as base and a good bee forage in apiculture. The species are also considered suitable for soil conservation, agroforestry, slash-and-burn land reclamation, etc.

Natural Distribution of Cadamba

Native Countries

Australia
Bangladesh
Brunei
Cambodia
China
India
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Vietnam

Introduced Regions

Central America
South America
Sub-Saharan Africa
Other tropical & subtropical countries

Ecological Range

Cadamba is a typical pioneer species that grows best on deep, moist, alluvial sites; and often in secondary forests along riverbanks, and in the transitional zone between swampy, permanently flooded and periodically flooded areas. Sometimes large individuals can be found in primary rainforests.

It grows on a variety of soils, but is more abundant and dominant on well-accelerated fertile soils. It does not grow as well on leached and poorly aerated soils, even when their physical conditions are good.

Light and water are the most important conditions for growth. In its natural habitat, the high temperatures vary from 32 to 42°C and the low temperatures vary from 3 to 16°C.

Cadamba is sensitive to frost, preventing it from surviving the colder temperate and sub temperate regions.

The mean annual rainfall for optimal growing ranges from 1500 to 5000 mm. However, Cadamba may also grow locally on much drier sites with as little as 200 mm annual rainfall (e.g. in central parts of South Sulawesi).

It is commonly found growing between 300 and 800 m above sea level. However, in the equator region it is found from just above sea level up to an elevation of 1000 m.

Supply of Planting Material

From Seeds

Seed Collection
Seed production begins at 4 – 5 years when flowering begins. The flowering period lasts 2 – 5 months and fruits are harvested by climbing or shaking the branches.

Seed Preparation
Successful extraction of seeds involves air-drying, crushing and sieving the fruit. This procedure can improve the germination rate up to 95%.

Seed Storage & Viability
Seeds can be stored in dry, airtight containers for up to 2 years. The germination of fresh seeds is generally low at about 25%, whilst properly stored seeds may obtain a much higher rate, up to 95%.

Nursery Technique
Cadamba seeds require special care due to their miniscule size. The seeds are generally broadcasted onto the raised beds or sown into trays and picked out into polythene bags where they are retained until planting.

Direct sowing is generally unsuccessful because of their sensitivity to excessive moisture and direct sunlight.

After 6 – 7 months, when the seedlings are about 30 – 40 cm tall, they are ready to be transplanted into the field.

Planting Technique
Cadamba is best raised by planting out seedlings at the start of the monsoon season. Survival percentage is observed to be the highest for wider spacing. The planting distance is usually around 2.5 – 3 m.

Our Preferred Source: Tissue Cultured Planting Material

Tissue Culture
Plant tissue culture is a technique used to grow plants. A method known as micro-propagation is widely used to produce clones of a plant. Compared to traditional propagation methods, this offers certain advantages such as:

The production of exact copies of plants that have desirable traits;
To quickly produce mature plants;
The production of plants without the need for seeds.

Progeny Selection
Before tissue culture begins, a suitable mother plant is selected. Selection is based on a number of key characteristics such as growth rate, wood density, resilience, and pest & diseases resistance. Cuttings are then taken from the selected progenies to be replicated for planting.

Medium Preparation
A growth medium is required for the cloned plantlets to replicate in. This comprises of a highly precise mix of nutrients and base elements to ensure that the plantlets mature faster and are ready for planting in a variety of conditions.

Acclimatisation
Once the plantlets reach a certain size, they undergo a proprietary acclimatisation process. This process hardens the plantlets for planting in the field and accelerates growth so that they may be planted at an earlier stage.

Timing & Survivability
Cadamba plantlets raised through this technique can be planted as early as 1 month and the latest by 6 months. Because the plantlets have undergone the proprietary acclimatisation process, they can be planted during any season, and have a much higher survivability rate of 97% already recorded in the field.

The overall long term benefits are:

Much higher planting survivability hence lowering planting expenditure;
Higher yield and productivity;
Higher durability, hence lowering plantation management costs;
Much better resistance to pests & diseases

Low Maintenance for Cadamba

Typical Plantation Maintenance for Forestry Plantations

UPKEEP	TYPICAL PURPOSE	REQUIREMENT FOR CADAMBA
Weeding	– Prevent competition for light, water, or nutrients	Typically, weeding is conducted every three months for the first year and every six months in the second and third years.
Fertilisation	– Attain optimal growth at infertile sites	Fertilisers are most commonly applied during or immediately after planting. Some planters also fertilise an additional time in the first year.
Pruning	– Produce knot-free timber – Allow easier access to timber stands	Unnecessary for Cadamba due to its self-pruning nature.
Thinning	– Remove inferior trees to encourage crown development in remaining trees – Results in increase in bole diameter	Typically conducted for a period of 2-4 years after planting. Frequency depends on the site’s quality and spacing.
Replanting	– Replace dead seedlings – Replace harvested trees	Often conducted after the first month to replace dead seedlings, and then again at the end of the second year.

Fast Growth Cadamba

Typical Growth

Neolamarckia cadamba is a very fast-growing timber with the highest rates of growth recorded in the initial years. Rate of growth is very fast in the earlier years, the height increment averages 2-3 m per annum for the first 6 or 8 years after which the growth gradually slows.