Calophyllum teysmannii (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Calophyllum teysmannii Miq.

Protologue: Fl. Ind. Bat., Suppl. 1(3): 499 (1861).

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: bintangor batu (Peninsular)
• Thailand: yakang (Nara).

Distribution

Peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, the Riau Archipelago and Borneo.

Uses

C. teysmannii is a source of HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The timber is used as bintangor, e.g. in construction.

Observations

• A medium-sized to large tree up to 40 m tall with bole up to 95 cm in diameter, often with spurs or small buttresses; twigs 2-, 4-, or 6-angled or rounded, terminal bud plump to conical, (2-)3.5-9.5(-12.5) mm long.
• Leaves usually obovate, (2-)3-14 cm long, usually cuneate at base, retuse at apex, with (4-)6-12(-21) veins per 5 mm.
• Inflorescences axillary, usually unbranched, 3-11-flowered; flowers with 4-8 tepals.
• Fruit spherical to ellipsoid, 17-37 mm long, with fairly thick, compact and hard outer layer, greenish.

Two varieties occur throughout the range of the species: var. teysmannii (synonym: C. inophylloide King var. singapurense M.R. Henderson & Wyatt-Smith) growing in peat swamps, mixed dipterocarp forest, kerangas forest and on ridges in lower montane forest up to 1200 m altitude, and var. inophylloide (King) P.F. Stevens (synonym: C. inophylloide King) usually growing in well-drained lowland to lower montane mixed dipterocarp forest up to 1400 m altitude. The wood is rather heavy and hard. The bark often resembles mengkulang (Heritiera spp.).

Selected sources

33, 102, 648, 779. timbers

616, 727, 878, 891. medicinals

Main genus page

• Calophyllum

Authors

• R.H.M.J. Lemmens