Canarium balsamiferum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Canarium balsamiferum Willd.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 4(2): 760 (1806).

Synonyms

Canarium englerianum Hochr. (1904), Canarium longissimum Hochr. (1904), Canarium rooseboomii Hochr. (1904).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: damar nitih (Minahassa, Sulawesi), lemboa (southern Sulawesi), kamakoan (Ambon).

Distribution

Sumbawa, Sulawesi and the Moluccas.

Uses

The wood is reputed to be used as kedondong. The aromatic oil extracted from the resin is valued for its sweet scent.

Observations

A medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall, bole branchless for up to 18 m, up to 70 cm in diameter, buttresses present; stipules absent; leaves with (7-)11-17 leaflets, leaflets with rather abruptly and shortly blunt-acuminate apex, margin entire, glabrous, with 8-15 pairs of secondary veins; inflorescence axillary, male one paniculate, female one mostly racemose; male flowers 10 mm long, female ones 5-6 mm long, stamens 6; fruit ovoid and acute, circular to slightly trigonous in cross-section, 20-40 mm × 13-20 mm, glabrous or slightly pubescent at the top. C. balsamiferum is found in primary forest, up to 700 m altitude. The density of the sapwood is 320-670 kg/m³at 15% moisture content.

Selected sources

162, 234, 342, 366, 474.