Aquilaria microcarpa

Botanical Description

Aquilaria microcarpa is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 40 metres tall. The bole can be up to 80cm in diameter[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. , 451 Title Flora Malesiana Series 1 Publication Author Various Website http://www.archive.org Publisher Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch Year 0 ISBN Description A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet ]. The wood of all members of this genus, when infected with a fungus, becomes a source of agarwood, which is very aromatic and highly valued as an incense, perfume and medicine. The plant also provides a useful fibre. The fungi-infected heartwood has a high commercial value and numerous trees are cut down, many of them uninfected by the fungus, in order to harvest just a few kilograms of the diseased wood. The increase in levels of trade over the past decade has resulted in overexploitation throughout the range of this species. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].