Cratoxylum formosum

Cratoxylum formosum is a species of flowering plant in the Hypericaceae family. Its commercial name in timber production is "mampat".[2] Also known as the Philippine cherrry blossom due to the populations in the Philippines which has lusher flowers, it is locally called as salinggogon. Its popularity has risen due to its pink-tinted flowers.[3] It is different from the balayong (or Palawan cherry blossom) which is also native to the Philippines.[4]

Cratoxylum formosum
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Hypericaceae
Genus: Cratoxylum
Species:
C. formosum
Binomial name
Cratoxylum formosum
Benth. & Hook. f. ex Dyer

It is a tropical plant found in Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The trees flower when there is dry weather followed by wet weather than dry weather again. It has pink flowers and can be up to 20 meters tall, though they rarely achieve the size required for timber exploitation.[2] The protected populations in the Philippines, which bloom during the dry season, can grow up to 65 meters tall, where some have also been known to reach over 140 meters.[5]

The species is also sturdy even in areas with bad air quality, as studied by scientists in the Philippines.[6] They also grow sturdy in pristine environments such as the Masungi Georeserve.[7]

The Catalogue of Life lists the subspecies C. formosum subsp. pruniflorum (Kurz) Gogelein

In Laos, Cratoxylum fomosum trees are used:

  • for the production of charcoal [8]
  • for their edible young leaves, which can be differentiated as either sour (ສົ້ມ), smooth (ມ່ອນ) or blood-red (ເລືອດ), possibly depending on subspecies (such as sp. prunifolium).

Local names:

  • Laotian: ໄມ້ຕີ້ວ [mâi tȋːw]
  • Malay: mampat
  • Thai: ผักติ้ว Phak tiu
  • Filipino: salingogon, salinggogon, salingbobog, and balai-lamok
  • Vietnamese: thành ngạnh đẹp (subsp. prunifolium : thành ngạnh vàng)
  • Philippine cherry trees in bloom
    Philippine cherry trees in bloom
  • Close-up of the flowers
    Close-up of the flowers
  • Fruits
    Fruits
  • Drawing of the species (1880 to 1883)
    Drawing of the species (1880 to 1883)

References
  1. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). "Cratoxylum formosum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998: e.T33354A9779236. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T33354A9779236.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. "'Mampat' entry in the Wood Explorer database". The Wood Explorer database. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  3. Uy (2019). The Most Beautiful Philippine Trees That Can Rival Japan's Cherry Blossoms. Esquire Philippines.
  4. De La Cruz (2023). LOOK: Philippines' Own Version of Sakura Are in Full Bloom Near Manila. Spot.ph.
  5. https://www.spot.ph/amp/things-to-do/the-latest-things-to-do/104158/philippine-cherry-blossoms-salinggogon-at-masungi-in-rizal-a833-20230323
  6. Uy (2017). Study lists 16 pollution-tolerant trees for 7 busiest Metro roads. Inquirer.
  7. Cabrera (2023). Saving Masungi, a last green corridor of the Philippines: Q&A with Ann Dumaliang. Mongabay.
  8. "Charcoal maker rewards villagers for growing mai tiew". Vientiane Times. 2011-06-21.


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