Palaquium lanceolatum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Palaquium lanceolatum Blanco

Protologue: Fl. Filip.: 403 (1837).

Family: Sapotaceae

Synonyms

• Madhuca pacifica Baehni (1965).

Vernacular names

• Philippines: palak palak (general), bagalangit (Tagalog), upong-upong (Bikol), araka, mikat (Ibanag).

Distribution

Endemic in the Philippines (Luzon).

Uses

The fruits are eaten raw. The timber is used as nyatoh for making cigar boxes, furniture and sometimes ship planking.

The name Palaquium lanceolatum has been used by various authors for other species (e.g. for P. merrillii and P. xanthochymum). P. lanceolatum grows in rain forest at low and medium altitudes. The timber is traded as "red nato"" together with other Palaquium species and is available in very limited quantities. The heartwood is pale brown to reddish brown, with a density of 450 620 kg/m3 at 15% moisture content.

Observations

• A medium sized tree.
• Leaves clustered at tip of twigs, obovate to spatulate, with slender but distinct, transverse tertiary veins, glabrous on both sides, 16-19 cm × 5-7.5 cm.
• Flowers in 5-8 flowered axillary clusters, borne on long (25-38 mm) pedicels, yellowish-white.
• Fruit spindle shaped or ellipsoid, 2.5-3.5 cm × 1-2 cm, greenish, glabrous, pointed or rounded at apex, containing 1 seed.

In rain forests at low altitudes, rather rare.

Selected sources

• Merrill, E.D., 1923-1925. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants. 4 Volumes. Government of the Philippine Islands, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Bureau of Printing, Manila.

• Monsalud, M.R., Tongacan, A.L., Lopez, F.R. & Lagrimas, M.Q., 1966. Edible wild plants in Philippine forests. The Philippine Journal of Science 95: 431 561.

• van Royen, P., 1960. Revision of the Sapotaceae of the Malaysian area in a wider sense. 23. Palaquium Blanco. Blumea 10: 432-606.

36, 480, 484, 486, 579. 743, 752. (Timbers)

Main genus page

• Palaquium (Timbers)

Authors

• P.C.M. Jansen,
• J. Jukema,
• L.P.A. Oyen,
• T.G. van Lingen (Fruits and nuts)

• R.H.M.J. Lemmens (selection of species, Timbers)