Shorea balangeran (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Shorea balangeran (Korth.) Burck

Protologue: Ann. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg 6: 214 (1887).

Synonyms

• Hopea balangeran Korth. (1841),
• Parashorea balangeran (Korth.) Merr. (1921).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: balangeran, kahoi (Kalimantan), melangir (Bangka, Belitung).

Distribution

Kalimantan, Bangka and Belitung.

Uses

S. balangeran is a major source of red meranti timber, but heavier grades are sometimes traded as red balau. The bark is used for the walling of houses. A comparatively valuable resin can be obtained from the wood.

Observations

• A medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall with a straight bole, buttresses up to 1.2 m high.
• Leaves oblong-elliptical to lanceolate, 7-18 cm × 3-8 cm, with 13-18 pairs of slender secondary veins not prominent, lower surface cream lepidote.
• Stamens 15, anthers broadly ovoid with slender appendages, stylopodium absent.
• Larger fruit calyx lobes up to 50 mm × 7 mm.

S. balangeran is common and occurs often gregarious in peat-swamp forest. The density of the wood is 730-990 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content. See also the table on wood properties.

Selected sources

258, 462, 743, 748.

Main genus page

• Shorea (red meranti)

Authors

M.S.M. Sosef (selection of species)