Calophyllum soulattri (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Calophyllum soulattri Burm.f.

Protologue: Fl. Indica: 121 (1768).

• Calophyllum lancifolium Elmer (1915),
• Calophyllum zschokkei Elmer (1915),
• Calophyllum solomonense A.C. Smith (1941),
• Calophyllum spectabile auct. non Willd.

• Indonesia: sulatri (Sundanese, Java), slatri (Javanese, Java), malang-malang (Bangka)
• Malaysia: bintangor labu, bintangor lanchar, mintak (Peninsular)
• Philippines: bitanghol-sibat (general), pamintaogon (Samar-Leyte Bisaya), gigabi (Panay Bisaya)
• Thailand: tanghon baiyai (Surat Thani)
• Vietnam: cồng trắng.

Vietnam, Cambodia, the Andaman Islands, Thailand, throughout Malesia towards the Solomon Islands and northern Australia.

The timber is used for masts and spars and in house construction throughout the area of distribution. In many places it is considered as one of the best bintangors.

The bark, roots and latex are used in local medicine. In Indonesia, an infusion of the root is applied externally to alleviate rheumatic pains. The seed oil is applied externally to treat rheumatism, wounds and skin problems, and for illumination and soap making. The latex may be used to poison dogs. The wood is used for many purposes, e.g. for house construction. The fruits are edible but sour and they should not be consumed in large quantities. The tree is sometimes planted as a shade tree or ornamental.

• A small to medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall with bole up to 70 cm in diameter, rarely buttressed, spurs or knee roots sometimes present; twigs usually 4-angled, terminal bud conical, 4-20 mm long.
• Leaves ovate to elliptical or suboblong, (3.5-)6.5-29(-36) cm long, usually cuneate at base, acute or acuminate at apex, with (6-)12-18(-21) veins per 5 mm.
• Inflorescences axillary, usually flabellate and branched, (3-)7-21-flowered; flowers with 4 tepals.
• Fruit spherical, 9-16(-22) mm long, with fairly thick, compact outer layer, purplish-black.

C. soulattri is a widespread but in many places rather uncommon tree of fairly small dimensions, growing in lowland or lower montane rain forest or sometimes in swamp forest, up to 1700 m altitude. The wood has a density of 400-700 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content and is not very durable.

1, 33, 35, 100, 102, 318, 461, 648, 779. timbers

334, 878, 891. medicinals

• Calophyllum

• R.H.M.J. Lemmens