原產於臺灣、中國大陸、印度、斯里蘭卡、緬甸、泰國、越南、馬來西亞、菲律賓、印度尼西亞至澳大利亞。落葉喬木，樹幹通直，樹皮紅褐色；小枝細長，圓柱形，有白色皮孔。葉片薄紙質，橢圓形至長圓狀披針形，全緣，頂端急尖或鈍或圓。花小，淡綠色至綠白色，雌雄異株；雄花數朵簇生於葉腋；雌花1~3 朵腋生；花期 5~8月。蒴果近圓球形，外果皮肉質，乾後薄革質，內含3粒種子；種子扇形，褐色有藍色金屬光澤。果期 8~12 月。

Native to Taiwan, China, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia to Australia. Deciduous trees, straight trunks, reddish-brown bark; slender branchlets, cylindrical, with white lenticels. Leaves thinly papery, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, entire, apically acute or blunt or round. Flowers small, light green to greenish white, dioecious; several male flowers clustered in leaf axils; female flowers 1 to 3 axillary; flowering from May to August. Capsules nearly spherical, exocarp fleshy to thinly leathery after drying, containing 3 seeds; seeds fan-shaped, brown with blue metallic luster. Fruiting from August to December.

喜溫暖氣候，以富含有機質之砂質壤土為佳，排水需良好。繁殖可用播種、扦插法。

The plant enjoys warm climates and grows better in well-drained sandy loam with rich organic matter. Propagated by seeding and cutting.

可做行道樹、綠籬。木材紅褐色，材質緻密堅重，與紫檀類似，可做其代用品，用做裝飾用材，也可做手杖、擔桿及小型器具。

It can be cultivated as a street tree and a hedge. The reddish-brown timber is solid and heavy like the red sandalwood, so it can be a substitute of sandalwood as decorative materials. It can also be made into walking sticks, poles and small appliances.