Dillenia reifferscheidia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia
Introduction

Protologue: Nov. App.: 3 (1880).

Family: Dilleniaceae

Vernacular names

Endemic in the Philippines.

The timber is suitable for construction work. The fruits are edible, with the flavour of a sour apple; they make excellent jam.

A small evergreen tree up to 12 m tall, with bole up to 60 cm in diameter, with widely spreading, crooked branches.
Leaves elliptical to obovate, (12-)20-30(-50) cm × (8-)13-20(-35) cm, margin dentate to nearly entire, petiole up to 4 cm long, with large obovate wings amplexicaul at base and completely caducous.
Flowers solitary or 2-3 together, c. 17.5 cm in diameter, sepals 11-17, increasing in size towards centre of flower, petals white, rarely rose-red, stamens in 2 distinct groups, the inner ones larger, anthers shortly acuminate at apex, opening by pores.
Fruit berry-like, indehiscent, subglobose, 5-8 cm diameter. Ripe carpels enclosed by the sepals. Carpels 20-25 mm × 10-12 mm, 1-4-seeded.
Seeds black with a membranaceous aril.

D. reifferscheidia occurs in primary and secondary forest up to 1000 m altitude, particularly in humid regions.

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, 673. timbers