Tembusu
| Tembusu | |
|---|---|
| At Singapore Botanic Gardens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Gentianaceae |
| Genus: | Cyrtophyllum |
| Species: | C. fragrans |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyrtophyllum fragrans | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The tembusu (/təmˈbuːsuː, tɛm-/, təm-BOO-soo or tem-BOO-soo), is a large evergreen tree in the family Gentianaceae, native to Southeast Asia (from Indo-China to New Guinea). It is the Malay name for Cyrtophyllum fragrans (synonym Fagraea fragrans). It is also known as ironwood.
Its trunk is dark brown, with deeply fissured bark, looking somewhat like a bittergourd. The tree grows in an irregular shape from 10 to 25 metres high, with light green oval-shaped leaves, and yellowish flowers with a distinct fragrance. The fruits of the tree are bitter tasting red berries, which are eaten by Pteropus fruit bats.