''Sphaerocoryne affinis'' (notable synonyms: ''Mitrella mesnyi'') is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the soursop family,

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family. With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest family in the Ma ...

. The fragrant flowers of ''Sphaerocoryne affinis'' are highly regarded in

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 Thailan ...

and

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 b ...

Description

This plant has a yellowish-white flower with a single alternate leaf. It has a height of 8–12 m and a stem diameter of 20–30 cm. It gives out an attractive smell in the late afternoon and evening, a distinctive fragrance that can be smelled from a long distance.

Cultural significance

In Cambodia

The ''rumduol'' ( km, រំដួល), as it is known in Cambodia, is often planted in gardens and parks as it is valued for its fragrance. The flowers are used to make a scented lip wax called ''kramuon rumduol'' ( km, ក្រមួនរំដួល). Several regions in Cambodia are named after this flower, such as

Romdoul District Romdoul District ( km, ស្រុករំដួល) is a district located in Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia. The district is subdivided into 10 khums and 78 phum Administrative divisions of Cambodia have several levels. Cambodia is divided ...

and

Ou Rumduol Ou Rumduol is a khum ( commune) of Phnum Proek District in Battambang Province in north-western Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the ...

. In a 2005 royal decree by King Sihamoni of Cambodia, the ''rumduol'' was proclaimed the national flower of Cambodia, however this decree references an invalid synonym for this taxon, ''Mitrella mesnyi''. The ''rumduol'' is often referred to as ''Popowia aberrans'' on botanical signs and as noted by Headley in the Cambodian-English dictionary.Cambodian-English Dictionary by Robert K. Headley, Rath Chim, and Ok Soeum (1997, Dunwoody Press, )

References

External links

Thaiherb

National flower of the Kingdom of Cambodia
{{Taxonbar, from=Q17135112 Annonaceae Cambodian culture National symbols of Cambodia Sisaket province Trees of Cambodia Trees of Thailand