Is This Tree A Drug Addict?


No, silly you! It's just a Gaharu tree (Aquilaria malaccensis) being farmed by local villagers in Southeast Asia for its fragnant resin. But they are not collecting the desired substance yet. First, they need to inoculate the tree with a fungal infection caused by Phaeoacremonium parasitica. Only then does the gaharu trigger a chemical defense with the resin as a secondary metabolite, covering its wood in the sticky substance. This creates the so called agarwood, which is valued in many cultures for its distinctive odour, and thus is used for incense and perfumes.

Inoculation. Image via Vietnam Agarwood.

The species is critically endangered, and due to the high demand for agarwood, mining, quarrying and logging, its native habitats are being destroyed. Nonetheless, conservation seems promising for the species, since it's highly adaptable and can grow in polluted areas or gardens.


Photo credit: Vinayaraj


Common name:Strangler fig
Clade:Angiospermae
Order:Rosales
Family:Moraceae
Genus:Ficus
  
IUCN status:Criticall endangered
Population trend:Decreasing
Scientific reading: