About Stinking Wood
Celtis timorensis, commonly known as stinkwood or stinking wood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae that grows in tropical Asia. The specific epithet comes from the name of the island of Timor, the locality of the type collection. The most notable characteristic of the tree is the strong excrement odour that it emits from the bark and sap, which pervades the surrounding forest. This is due to the presence of the malodorous organic compound skatole. In Thailand, it therefore known as kæ̂ng k̄hī̂ phrar̀wng or mị̂ chĕd tūd phrar̀wng (Thai: แก้งขี้พระร่วง, ไม้เช็ดตูดพระร่วง) which means 'wipe the bottom timber'. Thai legend has it that Phra Ruang (the legendary King of the Sukhothai dynasty) wiped his buttocks with it.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Celtis timorensis
- Genus
- Celtis
- Family
- ULMACEAE
- Habit
- Tree
- Native to
- India, Southeast Asia
- Distribution
- India, Himalayas, China, Malesia, Nepal, Myanmar, Indo-China, Thailand
- Flowering & fruiting
- January-April
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Malayalam
- പൂച്ചക്കുരുമരം, Celtis timorensis
Ulmaceae
Elm Family
Stinking Wood belongs to the Ulmaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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