Deciduous tree, up to 30 m, 80 cm ø; timber dark, hard. Innovations viscid hairy. Leaves opposite (rarely in whorls of 3), 30-50 by 15-25 cm; leaflets 3-4 pairs, viscid-hirsute, glabrescent, rough above and brittle when mature, ovate to obovate to broadly oblong, acute to short-acuminate, entire or fine-dentate, 5-23 by 3-10 cm; glandless or with a few scattered spots; midrib finally puberulous above, venation sparsely hirsute beneath; petiolules thick, 2-3(-5) cm. Thyrse up to 25 cm ø, viscid-pubescent with capitate-glandular hairs. Flowers dull crimson to dull purple, yellow streaked within, very fragrant. Calyx campanulate, viscid pubescent, 6-8 mm, shortly acutely 5-lobed. Corolla viscid-hairy, 21/ 4-3 cm long, the tube rather gradually funnel-shaped, mouth long pubescent; lobes subentire, ± as long as the tube. Filaments inserted at 4-5 mm from the base, towards the insertion with small sessile granular glands. Ovary 4-ribbed, sometimes sparsely glandular. Capsule smooth or valves obscurely 3-ribbed, to 45 by l½-l3/ 4cm; valves woody; septum 8-13 mm ø. Seeds 3½ by 3/ 4 cm.
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A large tree. It grows 15-30 m tall. The lowest branches can be 15 m up the trunk. The trunk is 80 cm across. It loses its leaves during the year.
Uses. GAMBLE, L.C. 516, said it is in SE. Asia rather an important large tree by its durable timber which is easy to work and good for building, though the amount of heartwood is small. It also is an excellent fire-wood and makes good charcoal. The root and bark are used as a favourite tonic native medicine. It also is important in sylviculture for its very free seed reproduction; the fruit remains long unopened on the tree and seed gets dispersed at the very end of the hot season after the danger of fire is nearly over, and can germinate with the first rains. Even on exposed slopes and among grass its good natural reproduction is noticeable.BURKILL ( BURKILL Diet. 1935 2082 ) mentions that it yields a gum of the tragacanth class. He also mentioned that it is referred to as a plant of magic in Sanskritic India, patala, being the Sanskrit name, of which modern vernaculars have been derived. In this respect it is noteworthy that the Javanese name 'bedaW is a name for Radermachera spp. TRIMEN reported it in Ceylon planted near Buddhist temples.
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The young fruit are cooked as a vegetable. The flowers are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
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