Planchonia valida is a large, evergreen tree from Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea. Young leaves - eaten raw as a vegetable, eaten as lalab (a vegetable salad served with sambal) with rice. The plant also has some local medicinal uses and valuable timber. The wood is reddish brown with yellow specks, very hard and close-grained, seasons well and takes a fine polish. The flowers can be seen opening up at dusk. Flowers are large, white and fleshy with numerous pink and white stamens. The individual flowers are superbly ornamental.
