Dillenia megalantha (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Dillenia megalantha Merr.

Protologue: Philipp. Journ. Sci., Bot. 9: 519 (1914).

Family: Dilleniaceae

Synonyms

• Dillenia mindanaensis Elmer (1915).

Vernacular names

• Philippines: katmon-bayani (Tagalog), katmon (Bikol, Bisaya).

Distribution

Endemic in the Philippines.

Uses

The timber is reputed to be used as simpoh. The fruits are edible; they taste acid and are suitable for preserves.

Observations

• A medium-sized evergreen tree up to 20 m tall (rarely more), with bole up to 40 cm in diameter, bark surface peeling off in small and thin plates, brown and grey mottled.
• Leaves oblong to oblanceolate, (20-)25-70(-100) cm × (6-)8-25(-35) cm, margin manifestly dentate, petiole up to 5(-7.5) cm long, with 1.5-3(-6) cm broad wings amplexicaul at base, completely caducous.
• Flowers c. 20 cm in diameter, sepals 5(-6), petals yellow, stamens in 2 distinct groups, the inner ones larger, anthers rounded (rarely with acumen) at apex, opening by pores.
• Fruit berry-like, indehiscent, globose, 5-7.5 cm diameter, carpels enclosed by the fleshy sepals; ripe carpels 25 mm × 11 mm, 1-seeded.
• Seeds obovoid, 6 mm × 4 mm, with membranaceous aril.

D. megalantha occurs in primary lowland forest, often along rivers, up to 1000 m altitude.

Selected sources

• Brown, W.H., 1951-1957. Useful plants of the Philippines. Reprint of the 1941-1943 ed. 3 Volumes. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin 10. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines.

• van Steenis, C.G.G.J. et al. (Editors), 1950-. Flora Malesiana. Series 1. Vol. 1, 4-10. Centre for Research and Development in Biology, Bogor, Indonesia, and Rijksherbarium, Leiden, the Netherlands. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London.

68, 162, 243, 414, 426, 527, 673. timbers

Authors

• P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen