English: Blue Marble Tree.
Genus: 350 species.
Region: Asia, China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar through Malaysia, Cambodia, Australia, Pacific islands.
Habitat: open places; moist lowland tropics and subtropics, broad-leaved mountain and valley rain forests; elevations of 600 - 1,100 metres; annual daytime temperatures 18 - 28°; mean annual rainfall from 1,500 - 3,000mm; full sun, tolerates some shade; fertile, humus-rich, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil
Culture: sacred tree in India.
Use: ornamental; fruit, raw, the thin layer of pulp is edible; re-establishing rainforest, permaculture projects, fast growing; establishes itself well in open, disturbed locations; has a light, open crown that allows other plants to establish; hard seeds are made for beads for rosaries, hatpins, buttons, sacred beads known as 'rudraksha' in India; wood for bent work, general planking, shuttering, boxes, crates, wooden pallets, boat planking, racing oars, match splints, veneer, plywood; wood useful, soft, lightweight carving timber, barrels, cooperage; medicinal; edible.
BotanyEvergreen tree; thin, open canopy; 35 metres tall or less.
Stem: bole prominently buttressed; buttresses thin, up to 6 metres from the tree; 20 - 200cm in diameter; heartwood is light-yellowish white to pink-brown, it is not distinctly demarcated from the up to 10cm wide band of sapwood, texture is moderately fine, straight to shallowly interlocked grain; wood is soft to moderately hard, light in weight to moderately heavy, weak, not very durable, seasons fairly slowly, shrinkage is fairly low, easy to resaw and cross-cut, planing is easy; moderately smooth finish; nailing properties are good, easy to glue and stain.
Fruit: bright blue, globular, brilliant, iridescent blue-a from physical, constructive, thin-film interference; 15 - 23mm in diameter.
Seeds: smaller than normal seeds