''Sphaerocoryne lefevrei'', known in Khmer as rumduol/rumdul () and in Thai as lamduan (), is a flowering plant of the

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a Family (biology), 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, native to

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

. It is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant, and is 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 t ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

and the provincial flower of Thailand's Sisaket province. Some sources treat it as the same species as the similar '' S. affinis''.

Description and distribution

''S. lefevrei'' is a shrub or small tree growing up to in height. It bears cream-coloured, yellow or yellow-brown flowers with three outer and three inner petals, the latter of which close in over the centre of the flower. The species occurs naturally in mixed deciduous forests at elevations of . It is distributed in Thailand's northeast, central and eastern regions, as well as in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Taxonomy

The lamduan was for a long time known in Thailand by the scientific name ''Melodorum fruticosum'', but the name was later identified as a synonym of ''

Uvaria siamensis ''Uvaria siamensis, '' locally called nom-maew (), is a plant in the family Annonaceae. ''Uvaria siamensis'' is a shrub or liana native to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and northern Peninsular Malaysia. It is related to the ylang-yl ...

'', a similar but different plant known in Thai as nom maew. Some sources treat ''S. lefevrei'' as the same species as the similar '' S. affinis'', a climbing species distributed in maritime Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, the rumduol has been referred to by the scientific name ''Mitrella mesnyi'', which most authorities report as an illegitimate synonym of ''S. affinis''. However, this species' range does not cover Cambodia.

Cultivation and culture

The tree is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in Cambodia and Thailand, and its flowers are admired for their pleasant fragrance, which is emitted especially in the evening. The fruit is edible when ripe, and is collected from the forest for consumption. The dried flowers are used in traditional medicine to relieve fainting/dizziness and as a mild stimulant. In ancient times, the flowers were used by Khmer people as a scent ingredient for lip waxes. The rumduol/lamduan's distinctive flowers are commonly evoked as a symbol, and have long been used as a metaphor for women's beauty in Khmer and Thai literature. The traditional Thai snack

klip lamduan ''Kleeb lamduan'' or lamduan flower shortbread cookie (, , ) is a Thai biscuit in the shape of lamduan flowers. It is traditionally made from one part of white sugar, two parts of flour, and lard. Kleeb Lamduan cookies are uniquely made by plac ...

is a shortbread cookie made in the shape of the flower. The rumduol was declared the national flower of Cambodia in 2005. The lamduan flower also features as an important symbol in the Thai province of

Sisaket Sisaket (, , ; Northern Khmer dialect, Northern Khmer: ) is a Thesaban#Town municipality, town municipality in Isan, northeast Thailand, incorporating Mueang Nuea and Mueang Tai Subdistricts and parts of Cham, Nong Khrok, Pho, Phon kha, and Ya P ...

, as ancient inscriptions attribute the name Dong Lamduan ('lamduan forest') to the surrounding area on the Thai–Cambodian border, a region exhibiting significant Northern Khmer heritage. It is regarded as the provincial tree, the provincial flower, and is featured on the provincial seal and in its official slogan.

Gallery

File:Melodorum fruticosum.jpg, Tree at

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden (), also called Nongnooch Pattaya Garden, is a botanical garden and tourist attraction in Chonburi Province, Thailand. Located on Sukhumvit road, it can be reached via bus, taxi or private land transportation ...

, Thailand File:Thai ลำดวน cookies.JPG, Thai ''

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References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q126487702 lefevrei Trees of Cambodia Trees of Thailand National symbols of Cambodia Culture of Cambodia Sisaket province Taxa named by Henri Ernest Baillon