Xylocarpus granatum

The Nyireh Bunga or Mangrove Cannonball is native to countries from East Africa to tropical Asia, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands.

A small tree of about 3 to 8m, the Mangrove Cannonball is an evergreen mangrove tree. It has long and snaking buttresses. The bark is light brown, yellowish, and greenish in colour, and smooth and flaking. 

The leaves of the Mangrove Cannonball are simple pinnate and spirally arranged. The young leaves are light green while the old leaves are dark green in colour. The leaves turn orange red when withering. They are narrowly-shaped and have rounded tips. 

The small flowers at only 8mm are are fragrant with white petals.

The Mangrove Cannonball produced fruits in capsules as wide as 25cm. These capsules are woody and globose, splitting open into four valves to reveal 5 to 20 seeds. 

The wood of the Mangrove Cannonball is used in boat-building, furniture wood and firewood.

This species has phytoremediation potential, because it accumulates manganese, zinc, boron, iron and copper. The bark contains tannin, so used for dying cloths, tanning leather, toughening and preserving fishing nets. Hair oil can be made using oil extracted from the seeds.