Calophyllum canum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Calophyllum canum Hook.f.

Protologue: Fl. Brit. India 1: 271 (1874).

Synonyms

• Calophyllum borneense Vesque (1889).

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: bintangor merah (Peninsular).

Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, the Riau Archipelago and Borneo.

Uses

This species is one of the most important sources of bintangor timber in Sarawak; the latex is used to stupefy fish.

Observations

• A medium-sized to fairly large tree up to 35 m tall with bole up to 75 cm in diameter, without buttresses; twigs more or less strongly 4-angled, terminal bud plump to narrowly conical, (3-)10-22 mm long.
• Leaves ovate, elliptical or suboblong, (3.5-)9-22 cm long, rounded or cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, undulate at margin, with 10-18(-21) veins per 5 mm.
• Inflorescences axillary, usually unbranched, 7-many-flowered; flowers with 4(-8) tepals.
• Fruit spherical or ovoid, 15-22 mm long, with fairly thick, compact outer layer, greenish.

C. canum grows in well-drained mixed dipterocarp forest on clay-rich soils, but also in peat swamps, up to 1200 m altitude.

Selected sources

1, 33, 318, 648, 779.

Main genus page

• Calophyllum

Authors

R.H.M.J. Lemmens (selection of species)