Group of mostly epiphytic (growing on other plants), tropical orchids. Characterized by their spirally twisted floral segments and asymmetrical flowers. Mostly vigorous, robust and tall-growing plants which require warm, tropical conditions.

Native to northern Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines and Pacific Islands.

No known.

Dendrobium is one of the largest genera in the world containing more than 1800 species (largest genus is Astragalus with more than 3000 species).

Tropical fruit tree, normally around 10 m high (maximal 35 m). Leaves from oblong to elliptical, 10-20 cm long, 3-6 cm wide. Ripe fruits with smooth, bright yellow skin, 1-4 seeds. Fruits edible: sweet, mild taste, strong hint of caramel and vanilla. Often used in ice cream or eaten out of hand.

Native to the Amazonian region of South America.

The fruits are used to relieve cough, bronchitis and respiratory complaints. Tree sap is believed to help as de-worming medication and heals swollen wounds.

Mature abiu trees produce 100-1000 fruits per year. Abiu is related (same family) to the “miracle fruit” (Synsepalum dulcificum), known for its taste-changing characteristic (from sour to sweet).

Large shrub growing to 8 meters. When bruised or cut the branches have a spicy resinous fragrance, causing respiratory distress which can be dangerous for some individuals. The leaves are ovate and glossy while new leaves are bronze and a red cherry fruit as pictured. When bruised or cut the branches have a spicy resinous fragrance, causing respiratory distress which can be dangerous for some individuals.

Native to tropical South America’s East Coast.

Used to prevent inflammation. Anti-oxidants in the plant like Anthocyanines seem to boost insulin and to control blood sugar levels.

The essential oil is antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antitumor and analgesic. It has shown significant anti-inflammatory properties and is used in South America against stomach diseases.

There are 17 species in the genus Aquilaria, large evergreen trees, and nine are known to produce agar wood. Aquilaria crassna is one source of agar wood, a resinous heartwood, used for perfume and incense. The resin is produced by the tree as an immune reaction in response to infection by mould. Prior to infection, the heartwood is odorless, relatively light and pale colored. As the infection progresses, the tree produces the dark aromatic resin, called agar (not to be confused with the edible, algae-derived agar), which results in a very dense, dark, resin-embedded heartwood.

Native to Southeast Asia and New Guinea. Cultivated in plantations in some tropical regions.

The grated wood enters into various preparations used especially during and after childbirth, and to treat rheumatism, smallpox and abdominal pains. Decoctions of the wood are said to have anti-microbial properties, e.g. Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Shigella flexneri.

First grade agarwood is one of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world, with prices for superior pure material as high as US$ 100’000 per kg. The current global market for agarwood is growing rapidly.

Large tree, deciduous, up to 40 m tall. High-quality wood. Greyish-brown branches. Leaves ovate, 15-45 cm long, 8-23 cm wide, margins entire, papery, hairy on lower surface. Flowers small, fragrant, white, arranged in dense clusters at the end of the branches.

Native to India and Southeast Asia but naturalized in many countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Myanmar’s teak forests account for nearly half of the world’s naturally occurring teak.

Teak is propagated mainly from seeds. Germination of the seeds involves pretreatment to remove dormancy arising from the thick pericarp. Pretreatment involves alternate wetting and drying of the seed.

The plant is widely cultivated because of its valuable wood. Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album) is the primary source of sandalwood and the derived oil. The woods are heavy, fine-grained and unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Indian Sandalwood still commands high prices for its essential oil, but due to lack of sizeable trees it is no longer used for fine woodworking as before.

Native to southern India and Southeast Asia. Now cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia and some parts of Oceania.

Sandalwood oil is little used in modern herbalism, its main application is in aromatherapy.

The high value of the species has caused its past exploitation to the point where the wild population is vulnerable to extinction.

Perennial herb, leafy stem up to 1.2 m tall. From autumn until spring it goes dormant above ground as the leafy stems shrivel and die away, leaving the pale brown rhizomes at ground level. In the spring, the plant springs up anew. 10-12 blade-shaped leaves, 15-20 cm long, alternate. Among the leafy stems, the conical flower heads burst forth on separate and shorter stalks. These appear in the summer, after the stem has been growing for a while. The flower heads are initially green, 3-10 cm, with overlapping scales, enclosing small yellowish-white flowers that poke out a few at a time. As the flower heads mature, they gradually fill with an aromatic, slimy liquid and turn a brighter red color.

Native to tropical Asia and Australasia but can be found in many tropical countries. The earliest evidence of its cultivation is from the Austronesian people who carried it with them during the Austronesian expansion (ca. 5000 BP) as canoe plants, reaching as far as Remote Oceania.

The essential oil in the rhizome contains zerumbone, which has spasmolytic and bacteriostatic properties.

The rhizomes of Shampoo ginger have been used as food flavoring and appetizers in various cuisines while the rhizome extracts have been used in herbal medicine. Perhaps the most common use of the plant is as a shampoo and conditioner. The clear fragrant juice present in the mature flower heads that resemble red pinecones is used for softening and bringing shininess to the hair. It can be left in the hair or rinsed out and can also be used as a massage lubricant.

Perennial, tropical plant. Primarily grown as a root vegetable for its edible, starchy corm. Leaves up to 40×35 cm and sprout from the rhizome, dark green above and light green beneath, highly water-repellent. Taro is one of few crops (along with rice and lotus) that can be grown under flooded conditions.

Native to Southern India and Southeast Asia but is widely naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Taro corms are a food staple in African, Oceanic and South Asian cultures.

The plant is used to treat wounds.

Taro is believed to have been one of the earliest cultivated plants.

Medium-sized tree, 10-20 m tall, with fast growth. Leaves deciduous, 15-60 cm long, pinnate. Flowers yellow. Fruit is a legume, 30-60 cm ling. Wood very strong and durable, has been used to construct “Ehela Kanuwa”, a site at Adams Peak in Sri Lanka.

Native to the Indian subcontinent and adjacent regions in Southeast Asia. It is a popular ornamental tree and widely grown in tropical and subtropical areas around the world.

It is both the national tree and national flower of Thailand.

Evergreen shrub, up to 2 m tall. Dichotomously branched. Stem excludes a milky latex when broken. Leaves large, shony, deep green, 15 cm long, 5 cm wide. Flowers white, waxy, in small clusters on the stem tips. The flowers have the characteristic “pinwheel” shape also seen in other genera in the family Apocynaceae. The leaves of this plant are eaten by the caterpillars of the oleander hawk-moth (Daphnis nerii).

Native to India and now cultivated throughout Southeast Asia, the warmer regions of continental Asia and Pacific Islands. In some areas, it is even grown as a house plant for its attractive flowers and foliage.

No known.

The plant contains several alkaloids and is toxic and medicinal (like many other plants in the family Apocynaceae).