This tree, called in
po daeng
Thai, has
clustered leaves and its fruits consists of large,
reddish-orange seedpods. It is known by a variety of common names, including Wild Almond Tree and Java Olive Tree.
It is similar and related to the
Sterculia pexa, known in Thai as
po khao,
but the latter is smaller and has
smaller fruits (fig.).
po daeng
po daeng
The
seedpods often grow in star-shaped
clusters and usually hold about 10-12
seeds each. When ripe, they will burst open and slowly change colour to brownish-orange
(fig.).