ດອກແຄ / Dok Khae

Khae trees are 5-15 m tall with an open crown and a DBH of 25-40 cm. The young branches, leaves and inflorescence stalks are yellow-brown and hairy. Compound leaves are 30-55 cm long, with four to eight pairs of varying, jagged leaves. The lowest pair is usually much smaller and rounder. The inflorescences are 40 cm long clusters of four to ten flowers. The funnel-shaped fleshy flowers are fragrant, with rusty purple veins. The fruit capsules measure 30-70 x 2-4.5 cm and are split into two velvet-like and brown sections. The seeds, 3-5 x 1-1.3 cm, are long ellipses and winged at both ends. Markhamia stipulata var. stipulata and var. kerri Sprague can be distinguished by the latter’s lightly toothed leaves; var. pierrii has reddish flowers.