Dita cheesewood (Nauclea subdita)

Gempol jowo or dita cheesewood (Nauclea subdita) is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae, a low to tall tree, shedding leaves during the dry season, the stem is cylindrical, the bark may be smooth or cracked and grayish in color, many branches and in all directions, orange to yellow wood.

N. subdita has leaves with stalks and sits opposite. Strands oval to elongated, tip pointed to blunt, margins flat, upper side glossy green, pale green, a major vein in the middle with a few pinnate minor veins.

Inflorescence fragrant, small, tubular, yellowish to orange and white stamens. The flowers are clustered in a ball with a central point about 3 cm in diameter.

Individual flowers are small, 8-10 mm long and 3-5 mm in diameter. Perianth consists of petals and sepals in separate circles. The inner surface of the crown is yellow to orange.

Bisexual with short, separate stamens attached to the perianth. The petals fuse together to form a round flower head. Epigynous with inferior ovary.

The flower head develops into a syncarp compound fruit that joins the petals. 4-5 cm in diameter, wrinkled surface, brown and aromatic. Seeds ovoid to ellipsoidal, 1-10 mm long. Dita cheesewood usually grows near water and 0-500 meters elevation.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Cinchonoideae
Tribe: Naucleeae
Genus: Nauclea
Species: Nauclea subdita

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