Calophyllum lanigerum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Calophyllum lanigerum Miq.

Protologue: Fl. Ind. Bat., Suppl. 1(3): 498 (1861).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: betur belulang, bintangur belulang (Bangka, Belitung).

Distribution

Southern Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, the Riau Archipelago, Bangka, Belitung and Borneo.

Uses

C. lanigerum is a source of HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The wood is used as bintangor, especially for house and ship building.

Observations

• A small or medium-sized tree up to 25 m tall, with bole up to 50 cm in diameter, usually without buttresses; twigs strongly 4-angled to rounded, terminal bud plump, 5-30 mm long.
• Leaves ovate to oblong, 4-20 cm long, rounded to cuneate at base, retuse, rounded or subacute at apex, with 6-13(-15) veins per 5 mm.
• Inflorescences axillary, generally unbranched, 3-21-flowered; flowers with 8 tepals (rarely 6).
• Fruit usually spherical, 12-29 mm long, with fairly thick, compact outer layer.

Two varieties are distinguished: var. lanigerum from Bangka, Belitung and south-eastern Borneo and var. austrocoriaceum (Whitm.) P.F. Stevens (synonym: Calophyllum austrocoriaceum Whitm.) from Peninsular Malaysia to the Riau Archipelago and north-western Borneo. C.' lanigerum grows in mixed dipterocarp rain forest, in hill forest, heath forest, and in peat swamps; often on sandy soils. It occurs up to 950 m altitude, and is locally abundant.

Selected sources

318, 648, 779. timbers

187, 452, 607, 616, 878, 891. medicinals

Main genus page

• Calophyllum

Authors

• R.H.M.J. Lemmens