Agathis borneensis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Agathis borneensis Warb.

Protologue: Monsunia 1: 184, t. 80 (1900).

Synonyms

• Agathis beccarii Warb. (1900),
• Agathis alba Foxw. (1909),
• Agathis latifolia Meijer Drees (1940).

Vernacular names

• Brunei: bindang
• Indonesia: bembueng (south-eastern Kalimantan), damar pilau (Dayak, Kalimantan), hedje (Sumatra)
• Malaysia: damar minyak (general), bindang (Sarawak), tambunan (Sabah).

Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo.

Uses

A. borneensis is an important source of kauri timber. A good-quality resin can be tapped from the trees. It is planted as a plantation tree and in enrichment planting.

Observations

• A very large tree of up to 55 m tall.
• Adult leaves ovate, 6-12 cm × 2-3.5 cm, with a more or less acute apex, resin canals paired.
• Mature pollen cones oblong, 4-7 cm × 2-2.5 cm, subtended by a 2-10 mm long peduncle, microsporophylls with a spoon-shaped, slightly acute apical part of 5.5-6.5 mm × 4-5 mm, the apex a broad semicircle.
• Mature seed cones oval, 6-8.5 cm × 5.5-6.5 cm, seed bracts roughly obtriangular with rounded upper edges and a strongly hooked projection on one side only.
• Seed blunt on one upper corner and with a wing on the other.

A. borneensis occurs scattered in upland rain forest up to 1200 m altitude in Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, but is often found in pure stands on sandy peat soil at low elevation in Borneo. The density of the wood is 380-550 kg/m³at 15% moisture content. See also the table on wood properties.

Selected sources

92, 100, 102, 146, 163, 181, 369, 406, 415, 453, 461, 478, 495, 542, 551, 554, 647, 748, 749, 762, 774, 775, 776, 778, 779, 780, 791.

Authors

• C.C.H. Jongkind (selection of species)

Main genus page

• Agathis