Chloroxylon swietenia

Chloroxylon swietenia
Ragihalli Forest, Bengaluru district, India.
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Subfamily:	Flindersioideae
Genus:	Chloroxylon
Species:	C. swietenia
Binomial name
Chloroxylon swietenia DC.

Chloroxylon swietenia (Ceylon satinwood, East Indian satinwood or buruta (බුරුත in Sinhala)) is a tropical hardwood, the sole species in the genus Chloroxylon (from the Greek χλωρὸν ξύλον, "green wood"). It is native to southern India, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar.^[1]

Ceylon satinwood is a medium-sized deciduous tree, growing to 15–20 m tall, with thick, fissured, slightly corky bark and pinnate leaves. The flowers are small, creamy-white, produced in panicles; the fruit is an oblong three-segmented capsule 2.5-4.5 cm long, containing 1-4 seeds in each segment.

At Pophum's Arbortum, Dambulla

Chloroxylon from India

Uses

The wood, a satinwood, is often a golden colour with a reflective sheen. It is used for small luxury items and as a veneer in wooden furniture.

Conservation

Populations have declined due to overexploitation.^[1]

References

1. Asian Regional Workshop (Conservation & Sustainable Management of Trees, Viet Nam, August 1996). 1998. Chloroxylon swietenia. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. Downloaded on 24 July 2013.