Mammea suriga

Mammea suriga

Family: Calophyllaceae

Common name: Surangi

Mammea species are evergreen trees with smooth bark, typically yellowish-grey on the outer surface and reddish on the inner, often exuding resinous latex or a milky white or yellow sap. The leaves are simple, opposite, and lanceolate-obovate in shape, with a glossy, leathery, and coriaceous texture. They are also glandular. The inflorescence is axillary, and the flowers can be unisexual or bisexual. The flowers have numerous small bracts near the base, and the calyx is usually persistent in the fruit. The petals are white and deciduous, and the stamens are numerous, free, and whitish. The ovary is superior, though absent in male flowers. The fruit is an indehiscent drupe, with a firm exocarp that is leathery and pulpy.

The small, fragrant flowers are often used to make garlands. The flower buds serve as a mild stimulant, astringent, and carminative. The essential oil extracted from the flowers is used in hair oil, massage oil, and body creams. The wood of the tree is valued for planking and construction purposes.