Shorea materialis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Shorea materialis Ridley

Protologue: Agric. Bull. Straits Fed. Malay States 9: 183 (1910).

Vernacular names

• Brunei: selangan batu pasir
• Malaysia: balau pasir, balau betul (Peninsular), balau laut (Sarawak).

Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia, north-western Borneo and possibly eastern Sumatra.

Uses

The timber is used as balau. Small amounts of dammar of fairly good quality are obtained from the tree.

Observations

• A medium-sized to large tree up to 45 m tall with low-branching bole up to 110 cm in diameter and prominent buttresses up to 2 m high.
• Leaves broadly ovate, falcate with a subequal base, 8-15 cm × 3.5-8.5 cm, with 9-12 pairs of slender secondary veins prominent beneath.
• Petals narrow, stamens c. 30, appendages setose.
• Fruit calyx lobes unequal, larger three up to 9 cm × 3 cm.

S. materialis occurs locally semi-gregarious and has become rare in Peninsular Malaysia as a result of logging. It occurs on giant podzols and sandstone cuestas in heath forest up to 800 m altitude. The density of the wood is 835-1040 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content.

Selected sources

30, 89, 258, 318, 677, 748.

Main genus page

• Shorea (balau)

Authors

• M.S.M. Sosef (selection of species)