Vernicia montana Lour.

A much-branched subdioecious tree up to 10 m.. Bark pale grey.. Wood soft, white.. Young shoots ferruginous pubescent, soon glabrescent except at the bases of the stipules.. Petiole 4.5–15(–20) cm. long, pubescent at first, soon glabrescent; leaf-blade broadly ovate or sometimes (on young trees and vigorous shoots) shallowly to moderately 3(–5)-lobed, (6–)10–20 cm. long, (5–)10–20 cm. wide, apex and lobes acutely acuminate, truncate or shallowly to deeply cordate, usually with 2 turbinate concave glands 2 mm. long adaxially at the base, and when lobed with a large subsessile discoid concave gland at the nadir of each sinus, lobes entire, (3–)5-nerved from the base, chartaceous, densely ferruginous pubescent above at first, sparingly so beneath, later becoming subglabrous above and beneath except along the midrib and main veins, dark green above, paler beneath.. Stipules triangular-lanceolate or lanceolate, 3–4 mm. long, subglabrous, readily deciduous leaving fairly prominent scars.. Inflorescences corymbiform, branched from the base, usually unisexual, the ♂ ones ± 12–20 cm. long and 20–30 cm. wide, the ♀ (3–)5–10 cm. long and 5–15 cm. wide; axes sparingly pubescent or subglabrous; lower bracts often leafy, lanceolate, up to 5.5 cm. long and 2 cm. wide, sparingly pubescent; upper bracts triangular-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.5–2 cm. long, 1–3 mm. wide.. Flowers fragrant, appearing with the leaves.. Male flowers: pedicels slender, 1 cm. long, ± glabrous; buds ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, ± 1 cm. long, apiculate, the calyx rupturing spathaceously for half to two-thirds its length into 2(–3) subequal or somewhat unequal lobes, glabrous, greenish yellow to pinkish yellow; petals oblanceolate-spathulate, clawed, 2.5 cm. long, 1 cm. wide, rounded at the apex, pubescent within on the claw, otherwise glabrous, white, reddish brown at the base; disc-glands erect, cylindric-fusiform or subulate, fleshy, 3–4 mm. long, bifid or not at the apex, whitish; stamens 10–14, united in a column 1.7 cm. high, the 5–9 outer slightly shorter than the 5 inner, the filaments reddish brown, those of the outer whorl pubescent at the junction with the column, anthers ovoid, 2 mm. long, yellow.. Female flowers: calyx and petals as in the ♂; disc-glands ovoid-fusiform, 1–2 mm. long; ovary oblong-ovoid or ellipsoid and trigonous, narrowing into the styles, 5 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, densely ferruginous-tomentose; styles 0.9–1 cm. long, pubescent at the base, yellowish green, the stigmas 0.5 cm. long, somewhat tubercled and reddish.. Fruits ovoid-subglobose, 3–5-lobed and-ridged, 4–6 cm. long, 4–4.5 cm. wide, apiculate, ± flattened at the base, with lateral ridges between the main ones, sparingly pubescent, especially near the ridges, green at first, greenish yellow when ripe.. Seeds broadly ovoid, compressed, 2–3 cm. long, 2–2.5 cm. wide, ± smooth on the ventral surface and warty on the dorsal surface, brownish.. Fig. 35/1–4.

Disturbed places and margins of evergreen forest, or in depleted forest along the road, in dry, sandy soils, at elevations up to 1,200 metres in Laos.

Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.