Gluta laccifera

Gluta laccifera, or lacquer tree, comes from Indo-China. It is deciduous, which means it sheds its leaves. It belongs to Anacardiaceae, the cashew family. Useful Tropical Plants records the tree in Vietnam. Its older name is Melanorrhoea laccifera. Kew places it in the wet tropical biome. People prize wild trees for their lacquer and wood. The lacquer meets local needs and goes abroad for sale.

Plants For A Future gives its height as 59 feet [18 metres]. Its spread reaches 39 feet [12 metres] in that account. The source says it grows at a moderate rate. The accounts give few other facts about its form. They do not describe leaf shape or bark texture. They give no details of flowers or fruit. They do not say when it blooms. The records focus on its uses, not its looks.

Plants For A Future lists sun and moist soil that drains well. It lists sand, loam, and clay as suitable soils. The stated pH range is mildly acid to mildly alkaline. The source gives USDA zones 10–12 and UK zone 10. There are no detailed notes on how to grow it. Useful Tropical Plants lists its status as wild. Plants For A Future says growers can use seed to raise it. The accounts give no facts on specific pests or diseases.

Workers tap the trunk for sap to make natural lacquer. They cut V-shaped marks through the bark. Then they lift the flap within each cut. Bamboo cups catch sap that flows from the inner bark. Workers empty them after about ten days, as flow slows. More cuts start the flow again before workers tap higher. The account suggests young trees may yield more than mature trees. The liquid coats wood and helps protect it. With sawdust or ashes, it makes a thick mix for moulding. People also use the wood for furniture and cabinets. They make turned objects from it too.

Handling the tree or its wood poses risks from contact. Even brief skin contact can cause irritation or an allergic reaction. The sap can cause dermatitis, a form of skin rash. Resin from the wood can cause severe skin irritation. Smoke from burning wood can cause severe eye irritation too. Plants For A Future notes long drying and exposure before timber use. Neither plant-use source lists parts to eat or medicinal uses. The lack of food-use records does not mean it is safe.