Scientific Classification

Family: Lamiaceae/ Verbenaceae

     Genus: Gmelina
          Species: Arborea

Scientific Name: Gmelina arborea Roxb. (1832)

Common Names:
Melina (Ilk.); Gimelina, Mulawin-aso (Tag.); Kaluñgun, Tantuñgun, Talauan,
Tuñgolnol (P. Bis.); Taluñgud (Sul.); Asiatic beechberry, White Teak, Oval-leafed
gmelina, Badhara bush (Engl.)

Description
Large deciduous tree; leaves are elliptic or ovate and covered with star-shaped hairs;
flowers are yellow; calyx has 5 to 6 flat, green glands on one side, and small, toothed lobes;
Corolla has a bell-shaped; fruit is a one-to-four-seeded drupe, nearly round and yellow when
ripe, with a watery flesh; Seeds are ovate, light yellow, surface smooth, seed coat thin, papery;
Roots are cylindrical with uneven surface, greyish brown, fracture somewhat tough in bark,
brittle and predominant in woody portion; Stems are hard, woody, smooth except for a few scars
of branches, yellowish-grey externally and cream colored internally.

Distribution

G. arborea is from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and southern
China (Troup, 1921; Moldenke, 1977; Greaves, 1981; Gupta, 1993; Luna, 1996); has been
extensively planted as a fast-growing tree in tropical areas of Africa, Asia, Australia, America,
the West Indies, and on several islands in the Pacific Ocean (PROTA, 2016).

Economic Value
G. arborea is a fast-growing tree often grown in large-scale plantations to produce wood
for light construction, crafts, decorative veneers, pulp, fuel, and charcoal. It produces high-
quality wood, which is harvested for the manufacture of furniture, musical instruments and to
make plywood, matches agricultural implements and even artificial limbs. Flowers produce
abundant nectar, which produces high-quality honey. The leaves are widely used as cattle fodder,
and in silkworm culture. The wood ash and fruit yield very persistent yellow dyes (Orwa et al.,
2009; PROTA,2016).

Social Benefit
Roots bark and seeds of G. arborea are used in traditional Asian medicine. In India, the
stem, bark and roots are used in Ayurvedic preparations to treat a range of ailments (Shenoy and
Yoganarasimhan, 2009; Yogesh and Veeranjaneyulu, 2010; Acharya et al., 2012). The fruit and
bark are used to treat various conditions in Sri Lanka (Trimen, 1895; Wagman, 1982). The
woodsChemicals that may have commercial potential for drug or chemical production (Greaves,
1981) include apigenin, luteolin and quercetagetin in leaves, gmelinoceryl alcohol in roots, and
lignins.

Environmental Services
G. arborea is often used in reforestation programs (Moya and Tomazello, 2008). The
species is also planted in agroforestry systems and as a shade tree on cassava, maize, coffee, and
cacao plantations (Orwa et al., 2009; USDA-ARS, 2016). G. arborea  has been shown to have
some potential for the phytoremediation of crude oil polluted soils as long as the contamination
level is below 5% (Agbogidi et al., 2007). Also, it serves as erosion control or dune stabilization.

Gmelina’s Introduction and Spread

G. arborea was first introduced from Myanmar as a fast-growing tree species into forest
plantations of Peninsular and East Malaysia. It was also introduced to other ASEAN countries,
such as the Philippines and Indonesia. By the 1960s, the FAO encouraged the utilization of G.
arborea for reforestation projects and commercial purposes across the tropics (FAO, 1981).
Also, by vector transmission, G. arborea spreads by seeds. Birds and bats attracted by the smell
of fruits are the main seed dispersal agents (Orwa et al., 2009). By that time, G. arborea was
featured as a promising species due to its ease and inexpensive establishment, rapid early growth,
quick return on investment, and for its wood characteristics including high durability, good yield
and high quality pulp. So, during the following 30-35 years, small and large-scale plantations
of G. arborea were established through Southeastern Asia, Australia, West Africa, and South
and Central America (Lauridsen and Kjaer, 2002).

Environmental Impact

G. arborea produces many fertile fruits that are easily dispersed by birds and bats (Orwa
et al., 2009), spreading seedlings quite far from the parent tree. In this way, it has escaped from
plantations and entered wild habitats where it is now replacing native trees and becoming
invasive (IUCN, 2013). It is listed as invasive in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ghana,
Australia and Cook Islands (Chacón and Saborío, 2012; Mir, 2012; IUCN, 2013; PIER,
2016; Weeds of Australia, 2016). In Australia, it is regarded as an environmental weed in the
Northern Territory and as a potential environmental weed in Queensland. This species is
naturalizing from settlements in the tropical savannas of the Northern Territory. It is also listed
as a high priority weed in Aboriginal lands in the Northern Land Council area, and is of
particular concern in Maningrida, in Arnhem Land (Weeds of Australia, 2016). It has become
naturalized in many African countries, where it may be somewhat invasive and in Ghana it is
spreading across the Mole National Park (IUCN, 2013; PROTA, 2016).
Impact on habitats and biodiversity
G. arborea is an opportunist species and it has been classified as a long-lived pioneer.
Thus, it has the potential to disrupt succession processes in areas where it is invading and out
compete native vegetation (IUCN, 2013; PROTA, 2016).

References:

Agbogidi OM, Dolor ED, Okechukwu EM (2007). Evaluation of Tectona grandis (Linn.) and Gmelina
arborea (Roxb.) for phyto-remediation in crude oil contaminated soils. Agriculturae
Conspectus Scientificus (Poljoprivredna Znanstvena Smotra), 72(2):149-152.
http://www.agr.hr/smotra/

Acharya NS, Acharya SR, Shah MB, Santani DD (2012). Development of pharmacognostical
parameters and estimation of beta-sitosterol using HPTLC in roots of Gmelina arborea
Roxb. Pharmacognosy Journal, 4(30):1-9. Retrieved from
http://phcogj.com/105530pj2012301

Bimbima (2017). Gambhari (Gmelina arborea) Information, Medicinal Uses and More. Retriened
from https://www.bimbima.com/herbs/gmelina-arborea/2960/

Kewscience (n.d.) Plants of the World Online. Retrieved from

http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77159191-1

CABI (2018).Gmelina arborea(candahar). Retrieved from

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/25465

Stuartxchange(n.d.). Philippine Medicinal Plants. Retrieved from

http://www.stuartxchange.com/Talungud.html

World Agroforestry Centre (2016). A Tree Species Reference And Selection Guide. Retrieved
fromhttps://web.archive.org/web/20110930043619/http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.o
rg/sea/products/AFDbases/AF/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=914

Munir, A.A. (n.d.). A Taxonomic Revision Of The Genus Gmelina L. (Verbenaceae)* In

Australia. Retrieved from https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?
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Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry (2015). A Review on Gambhari (Gmelina

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ITIS Species (2000). Species Details Gmelina arborea Roxb. ex.Sm. Retrieved from
http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/01709814c9f8d9e2c5549ca9d2193e
7d/synonym/0ccdecf271b2d15d4d406ada7f755f1e

Lauridsen EB, 1977. Gmelina arborea - international provenance trials study tour and seed collection
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Paper (1977) No. 1.

Orwa C, Mutua A, Kindt R, Jamnadass R, Anthony S, 2009. Agroforestree Database: a tree

reference and selection guide version
4.0. http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sites/treedbs/treedatabases.asp
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Africa. http://www.prota4u.info

Shenoy KRP, Yoganarasimhan SN, 2009. Antibacterial activity of Kutajarista - an Ayurvedic

preparation. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 8(2):270-271. http://www.niscair.res.in

USDA-ARS, 2016. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. National
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Yogesh K, Veeranjaneyulu A, 2010. Pharmacognostical and preclinical studies on stembark of

Gmelina arborea: an ayurvedic medicinal plant. In: Medicinal plants: phytochemistry,
pharmacology and therapeutics, Volume 1 [ed. by Gupta, V. K.\Singh, G. D.\Singh, S.\Kaul,
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