Alstonia Macrophylla – Batino

Janthaala mara

Family

Apocynaceae

Origin

Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines

Description

Alstonia Macrophylla is a tree with a straight trunk and a high, narrow crown. It can become up to 30 meters tall. The trunk and branches contain white latex. The bark is smooth and has a light grey colour. Leaves are in whorls of three to four, simple, penni-veined, membranous, and globous above. Leaf-blades are 10 to 50 centimeters long, 5 to 15 cm wide, widest in or above the middle, and cuneate at the base.

Flowers are about 7 mm in diameter, white, with narrow corolla tube, placed terminal on twigs.

Fruits are about 30 centimeters long, green and filled with many small hairy seeds that are dispersed far and wide by the wind. The heartwood is yellowish, with a straight and shallowly interlocked grain with a moderately fine to rather coarse texture.

Environment

Alstonia Macrophylla is quite hardy and grows quite well even in a hot dry region. Water the plant frequently during the dry season. Once a day, should be enough. The plant can grow fairly well in any kind of soil be it chalky, loamy, clayey or sandy. The soil needs to be well-drained however. Blooming months are from August – November. It usually grows on ridges and hillsides with sandy to clayey soils. It also grows in ultrabasic and limestone soils.

Landscape Uses

It can be planted as an avenue plant