Calophyllum blancoi (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Calophyllum blancoi Planchon & Triana

Protologue: Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. 4, 15: 262 (1862).

• Calophyllum racemosum Merr. (1910),
• Calophyllum glabrum Merr. (1912),
• Calophyllum mindanaense Elmer (1915).

• Philippines: bitangol, bitaog (general), palo maria del monte (Sp).

The Philippines and Borneo (Sabah, East Kalimantan); also in Taiwan (Lanyu Islands).

The timber is used in the Philippines as bintangor for many purposes. The latex is used to treat wounds, boils and swellings and to alleviate asthma.

• A medium-sized to large tree up to 40 m tall with bole up to 60 cm in diameter, without buttresses; twigs 4-angled, terminal bud plump, 6-20 mm long.
• Leaves elliptical to suboblong, rarely obovate, (3-)5-25(-30) cm long, cuneate or abruptly attenuate at base, acuminate at apex, with 5-18(-22) veins per 5 mm.
• Inflorescences terminal and/or axillary, branched up to 2 times, 9-many-flowered; flowers with 8-16 tepals.
• Fruit ovoid to subspherical, 12-22 mm long, with fairly thin, compact outer layer, green, bluish or black.

C. blancoi is a variable species. It occurs usually in well-drained primary forest up to 1900 m altitude. The supply of "bitanghol" in the Philippines is not abundant, and the stands are depleted due to logging and shifting cultivation. The heartwood is reddish-brown; the density is 500-650 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content.

175, 484, 579, 648. timbers

• Calophyllum (PROSEA Medicinal plants)
• Calophyllum (PROSEA Timbers)

• R.H.M.J. Lemmens