Xanthophyllum flavescens Roxb.

Tree, 8-36 m high, up to 1 m dbh. Twigs glabrous. Petiole (5—)7—15 mm, often seemingly longer when leaf base is attenuate, mostly in apical half with two rather distinct glands. Leaf-blade (5.2-)7-18(-25) by (2.3—)3—7(—12) cm, base often long attenuate with the margins of the leaf-blade curved upwards and gradually grading into the ridges of the petiole; above yellowish green to yellowish brown; beneath: secondary nerves (4-)6-8(-10) pairs, usually forming a rather distinct intramarginal nerve, venation sometimes indistinct; glands 1-10, scattered, 0.3-0.6(-0.9) mm diam., basal glands usually absent if petiole bears glands. Inflorescences often several together on one thickened node, rarely un-branched, as long as or longer than the leaves; axes slender, somewhat flattened, slightly grooved, thickened on the nodes and there with usually distinct, protruding glands, brownish, densely minutely patently hairy. Flowers usually with 3 together. Pedicel (2.5—)3—4.5 mm, rarely longer, densely minutely half-patently greyish hairy. Sepals: outer sepals 2.3—3(—3.6) by 1.4-2.7 mm; inner sepals 3-4.1 by 2.3-3.7 mm. Petals bright yellow, or white and the upper petals with a yellow spot, or fully white, when dry yellowish, the longest one (6-)7-8(-8.5) mm long; carina basally more or less densely hairy, in upper part outside densely patently hairy to glabrous, inside rather densely hairy to glabrous; lateral petals usually glabrous outside, mostly glabrous inside, upper petals reflexed, ciliate basally or up to ⅔ their length, usually glabrous outside, inside patently hairy or at base only. Stamens: filaments very rarely c. 1 mm connate; anthers (0.4-)0.5-0.6(-0.65) mm long. Ovary glabrous to hairy in apical region on 4 ribs, very rarely (in one coll.) loosely hairy all over, often semi-2-locular; style sometimes glabrous in basal part; ovules 8-12, rarely 6. Fruit 1-to often 2-locular, the second chamber often reduced and seemingly enveloped by the pericarp; usually globular, up to c. 2 cm diam., smooth to irregularly low-tuberculate, rarely densely tuberculate, rather dull to somewhat shiny, yellowish to brownish; pericarp usually hard; pedicel up to 6(-7) mm long. Seed(s) 1 or 2.

Primary coastal, swamp and sub-montane rain forests at elevations up to 1,500 metres. Usually on alluvial sites and by rivers and streams (also in tidal regions), also on ridges. In secondary forests usually present as a pre-disturbance remnant.

The fruit is used to flavour drinks. The leaves are cooked and used as a vegetable.

Plants can be grown from seeds.