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Palaquium formosanum Hayata

Family Name:	Sapotaceae
Common Name:	Formosan Nato Tree, 台湾胶木

Palaquium formosanum, also known as Formosan Nato Tree, is a tree which can reach up to 20 m tall. In Taiwan, the sap is used to build wooden rafts and the ripe fruit is eaten by local villagers.

Full Sun

Moderate Water

Tree

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Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
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Species Summary

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants)
Plant Growth Form	Tree
Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Taiwan to Philippines
Local Conservation Status	Non-native

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form	It is a tree which can reach up to 20 m tall. It produces white sap when any part of the plant is injured.
Foliage	Leaves are thickly leathery and ovate-oblong to spathulate (10 – 17 cm long and 4.5 – 7.5 cm wide). Leaf tip is rounded to cordate while leaf base is broadly wedged shaped (cuneate). Each leaf has 10 – 12 pairs of lateral veins. Reddish-brown hairs may be present on the veins of young leaves.
Flowers	Flower occurs in solitary or in clusters of 3 – 6. It is pale yellowish gray and comprises of 6 petals and 12 – 15 stamens.

Fruit	Fruit is ellipsoid, measuring 4 – 5 cm long and 1.5 – 2 cm wide, and the tip often has a persistent style (about 1.5 cm long).
Ethnobotanical Uses	Others: In Taiwan, the ripe fruit is eaten by local villagers. On Lanyu Island, the sap is used to build wooden rafts.

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun
Water Preference	Moderate Water

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Master ID	34175
Species ID	8588
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.

Species record last updated on: 26 August 2024.