Synonyms: 

Balsamaria inophyllum (L.) Lour.

Calophyllum bintagor Roxb.

Systematic Position

Kingdom:  Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Order: Malpighiales Juss. ex Bercht. & J. Presl

Family: Calophyllaceae J. Agardh

Native: Tropical Asia

Common Names

English – Alexandrian Laurel

Malayalam – പുന്ന

Tamil –

Description: A slow-growing, medium-sized evergreen tree with a spreading crown; it usually grows up to 25m height or more. The bole is usually short and twisted or leaning; it can be up to 150cm in diameter. All parts of the plant contain a sticky yellowish latex. 

Habitat:   Large evergreen plant

Distribution: Southeast Asia

Uses: Used as an avenue tree to provide shade and as wind breaks. The tree has long been used in shipbuilding, construction of canoes and small boats. Also used in medicine. In Mauritius, liquifying roots by extracting the essence of a substance is used to treat ulcers, boils, and ophthalmia. The bark can also be used to treat orchitis, while the latex has been traditionally used on the skin to treat rheumatism and psoriasis, and a leaf extract is used to treat eye infections as an anti-inflammatory. The stones of the fruit are used as marbles.