Mesua ferrea
(Calophyllaceae)
Names and origins
Characters
Ecology
Uses
Conservation
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Forest type (costal, hill, lowland, peatswamp, mountains, kerangas...)
Forest Layer (emergent, canopy, understory, forest floor, liana...)
Pioneer tree, late sucessional tree
Symbiotic microorganisms (Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, ectomycorrhiza)
Seed dispersal by animals
Pollination by birds, bats, bees, beetles
Symbiosis with animals, ants
Flowering habits and frequency
Seed germination conditions and time
<p><i>Mesua ferrea</i> is common in evergreen forest on level or undulating land, also on ridges with shallow soils, from sea-level up to 500 m altitude, but planted up to 1300 m.<br /> A wide range of visitors including bees, wasps, ants and butterflies visit flowers, but only a few of them are effective pollinators. The honey producing giant honey bee <i>Apis dorsata</i> and the Asian honey bee <i>Apis cerana</i> are among the most productive pollinators. The Indian stingless bee <i>Trigona irridepennis</i> and another stingless bee <i>Tetragonula spp.</i> are frequent visitors. A wide variety of butterflies like <i>Rapala manae</i>, <i>Euploea core</i> also visit flowers for nectar.<br /> The tree gives a dense shade and is an important shade provider in its distribution range.</p>
Mesua ferrea (Calophyllaceae) Mesua ferrea (Calophyllaceae)