''Melodorum fruticosum'', the white cheesewood ( th, ลำดวน), is a plant of the Annonaceae family native to

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. It is one of the two species considered the

national flower In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

. It is also the provincial flower of Sisaket province,

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

Description

This plant has a cream-coloured flower with a single alternate leaf. It gives out a pleasant fragrance, especially in the evening. It also has medical uses as a tonic and mild cardiac stimulant and

hematinic A hematinic is a nutrient required for the formation of blood cells in the process of hematopoiesis. The main hematinics are iron, B12, and folate. Deficiency in hematinics can lead to anaemia. In cases of hematinic deficiency, hematinics can be a ...

. This small tree reaches a height between 8 and 12 m. It is very common in Cambodia, where it is often planted as a decorative tree in public parks. Khmer women have been compared to the

rumdul ''Sphaerocoryne affinis'' (notable synonyms: ''Mitrella mesnyi'') is a species of flowering plant in the soursop family, Annonaceae. The fragrant flowers of ''Sphaerocoryne affinis'' are highly regarded in Cambodia and Thailand. Description This ...

flower in ancient

Cambodian literature Cambodian literature ( km, អក្សរសាស្ត្រខ្មែរ, ), also Khmer literature, has a very ancient origin. Like most Southeast Asian national literatures its traditional corpus has two distinct aspects or levels: *The ...

and folklore. In Thailand a traditional cookie called

kleeb lamduan ''Kleeb lamduan'' or lamduan flower shortbread cookie ( th, กลีบลำดวน, , ) is a Thai cuisine, Thai biscuit in the shape of white cheesewood flowers (''Melodorum fruticosum''). It is traditionally made from one part of white suga ...

() is made in the shape of the flower.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q6577913 Annonaceae Cambodian culture Sisaket province Trees of Thailand