Gõ Nước: An Endangered Tree That Offers Hope for Conservation Efforts

Is it true that the more names something has, the more beloved it is? Consider all the nicknames you have for your best friends, or the myriad of terms people have invented for deities. If one can assess value by tallying up all the terms that define it, surely Intsia bijuga is a cherished species of tree.

Borneo teak, kwila, vesi, Johnston river teak, ipil, ifit, merbau, scrub mahogany and Moluccan ironwood are just a few of the names given to Intsia bijuga, a member of the Fabaceae flowering tree family. In Vietnamese, the tree is known as gõ nước or bần ổi. With a native range that sweeps across Southeast Asia and Oceania, as well as Madagascar, gõ nước has seemingly as many uses as it does names. [read more]