Javanese Bishopwood

Description

Bischofia javanica (Bishop wood) is a plant species of the family Phyllanthaceae. It and the related B. polycarpa are the only two members of genus (Bischofia) and tribe (Bischofieae). These species are distributed throughout southern and southeast Asia to Australia and Polynesia also in North America (brought to North America as a decorative plant but now considered to be an invasive species). The tree is commonly used by tigers to scratch-mark territory in the jungles of Assam where it is locally called uriam. They also occur in southwestern, central, eastern, and southern China, and also Taiwan, where aboriginal people consider it a sacred tree.