Agroforestree Database

Local names:
 English (apple Blossom cassia), Filipino (antsoan (Bikol)), Indonesian (trengguli,boking-boking (Sumatra),bobondelan), Malay (busok-busok (Peninsular),bebusok), Thai (kalalphruk (central, northern)), Trade name (johar), Vietnamese (mu[oof]ng b[of] c[aj]p

Cassia javanica is a small to medium-sized tree up to 25(-40) m tall, deciduous or semi-deciduous, trunk of young trees either smooth or armed with stump-remnants of branches.

Leaves with 5-15(-20) pairs of leaflets, petiole 1.5-4 cm long, leaflets elliptical-ovate to oblong, 2.5-5 cm x 1.5-2.5 cm, base broadly rounded, apex acute or rounded to obtuse.

Inflorescence a raceme or panicle, terminal on leafy shoots or lateral on short side branches, up to 16 cm long, many-flowered; flowers with sepals 4-10 mm long, green to dark red, petals 15-35 mm long, whitish to reddish or buff, stamens 10, 3 longer ones with filaments 2 cm long, 4 shorter with filaments about 1 cm long and 3 reduced wih filaments about 1 cm long and minute anthers.

Fruit pendent, terete, 20-60 cm long, 1-1.5(-2.5) cm in diameter, indehiscent.

Seeds numerous, embedded in a flat disk.

C. javanica trees show Troll's architectural model, with sympodial growth and all axes plagiotropic, the architecture being built by their continual superposition. C. javanica is very polymorphic and several subspecies are distinguished.

Ecology

C. javanica is usually found in more open sites in the forest, but can also occur in closed evergreen primary forest. C. javanica also occurs in deciduous monsoon forest and in more open or even savanna-like habitats. It has a wide ecological amplitude and is generally found at lower elevations.  It is often naturalized in secondary forest close to locations where it has been planted.  The various subspecies of C. javanica show preferences for either dry or moist habitats on a wide variety of soils.

Native range
China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Thailand, United States Misc. Pacific Islands

Tree management

C. javanica is not resistant to fire, but tolerates drought and shade. It coppices vigorously and can be pollarded.

There are 5700-8400 dry seeds/kg. Seed storage is variable: fresh seed can be stored for only 3 weeks in airtight containers, but storing dry seeds for over one year is also reported. Seeds start to germinate after 7 days and 80% of the seedlings appear within in 14-30 days. Pods can easily be collected from the ground and have to be opened with a chopping knife.

C. javanica is usually found in more open sites in the forest, but can also occur in closed evergreen primary forest. C. javanica also occurs in deciduous monsoon forest and in more open or even savanna-like habitats. It has a wide ecological amplitude and is generally found at lower elevations.  It is often naturalized in secondary forest close to locations where it has been planted.  The various subspecies of C. javanica show preferences for either dry or moist habitats on a wide variety of soils.

C. javanica can be propagated by seed or by vegetative means. The germination rate is about 70%; 50% of the seed sown yields good plants. Other records, however, show a germination rate of 20-65% in 5 days to well over one year. For India, where late and prolonged germination is a problem, it is reported that mechanical scarification may be used to overcome seed dormancy. The planting of large cuttings of C. javanica in the Philippines was unsuccessful as only 10% of the cuttings survived. Air layering failed altogether.

Timber: The wood is used for general construction, furniture and cabinet making.  C. javanica yields a lightweight to heavy hardwood with a density of 400-875 kg/m cubic at 15% moisture content. Heartwood pale yellow when fresh, turning red or pale orange-brown with age, demarcated sharply or not sharply from the 2-5 cm wide white sapwood; grain interlocked; texture moderately fine. Shrinkage of the wood is low; it seasons well with little or no degrade. The wood is hard and strong. It works well and finishes well. The sapwood is very perishable, the heartwood moderately durable when exposed to the weather or in contact with the ground, and very durable for interior work. The sapwood is susceptible to Lyctus.

Tannin or dyestuff: The bark has been used for tanning leather, but the amount of tannin is comparatively low.

Medicine: The ripe pods and seeds are used as a traditional laxative throughout the Malesian area. In Thailand, bark and seeds are also used as antipyretics. However, it was noted that emesis may be observed. Anthraquinone glycosides are found in C. javanica

Ornamental:  C. javanica is extensively used as an ornamental and roadside tree, particularly forms of subsp. agnes (de Wit) K. Larsen with larger flowers.