Калофілум

The tree

The takamaka tree is Calophyllum inophyllum, a large evergreen plant of the family Calophyllaceae. It is commonly called tamanu, oil-nut, mastwood, beach calophyllum or beautyleaf. Calophyllum inophyllum is widespread along the coasts of eastern Africa, Madagascar and other Indian Ocean islands, tropical Asia, northern Australia and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. It usually reaches 8 to 30 m (26 to 98 ft) in height. Its trunk is thick and covered with black and cracked bark. The flower is 25 to 30 mm (1.0 to 1.2 in) wide and occurs in racemose or paniculate inflorescences consisting of four to 15 flowers. The fruit (the ballnut) is a round, green drupe measuring 2 to 4 cm (0.8 to 1.6 in) in diameter.

Resin

Tacamahac is the resin of the tree. Tacamahac is the name of medicinal resins, now little used, obtained from several plant sources including Calophyllum tacamahaca and Calophyllum inophyllum. The oleoresin from the bark, which contains benzoic acid, shows cicatrising properties. In the Seychelles the resin is used to treat wounds and insect bites.

Seed oil

Commercial uses of tamanu oil are predominantly for skin care. Fresh kernels contain 55-73% oil and 25% moisture, and the oil content increases to 70-75% when dry. The average oil yield is 11.7 kg-oil per tree or 4680 kg-oil per hectare. The seed oil is used for illumination. In the northwest coastal areas of Luzon island in the Philippines, the oil was used for night lamps.

Chemistry

The main compounds of the seed oil are oleic, linoleic, stearic and palmitic acids. Other components include calophyllolide, friedelin, inophyllums B and P, terpenic essences, benzoic and oxibenzoic acids, phospho-amino lipids, glycerides, saturated fatty acids, and 4-phenylcoumarins. The concentration of resinous substances in the oil varies from 10 to 30%.

Wood and planting

Throughout its area of distribution Calophyllum inophyllum is used for the construction of canoes and small boats, but also for masts, keels, knees and pulley blocks. The heartwood is pinkish to reddish brown, and clearly demarcated from the pale sapwood. The species is also cultivated for its wood and planted in coastal landscaping as a windbreak and for erosion control.

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