Soft bollygum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Soft bollygum |
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| Litsea glutinosa in Vietnam | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Litsea
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| Species: |
glutinosa
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| Synonyms | |
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Litsea sebifera Pers. |
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Litsea glutinosa is a special tree that grows in rainforests. It belongs to the laurel family, called Lauraceae. This tree has many different common names. Some people call it soft bollygum or bolly beech. Other names include bollygum, brown bollygum, sycamore, and brown beech. It is also sometimes called Bollywood, but this is not related to the movie industry!
Special Uses of the Tree
The bark of the Litsea glutinosa tree can be ground into a fine powder. This powder is known as jiggat. Jiggat is very useful because it can be made into a sticky paste. This paste is often used to help make incense sticks. It helps hold the ingredients of the incense stick together.
Where Litsea glutinosa Grows
This amazing tree naturally grows in many parts of the world. You can find it in countries like India, South China, and all the way to Malaysia and the Philippines. It also grows in Australia and on islands in the western Pacific Ocean.
Sometimes, people have brought this tree to new places. For example, it was introduced to La Réunion, Mauritius, and Mayotte. In these new places, it has grown so well that it is now considered an invasive species. This means it grows very fast and can sometimes take over areas, which can affect the local plants and animals.
