Madhuca obovatifolia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Madhuca obovatifolia (Merr.) Merr.

Protologue: Enum. Philipp. fl. pl. 3: 277 (1923).

Family: Sapotaceae

Synonyms

• Ganua obovatifolia (Merr.) v.d. Assem (1953).
• Bassia obovatifolia Merr.

Vernacular names

• Philippines: pianga (Ibanag, Iloko), dulitan, nato (Tagalog), maninik (Bikol).

Distribution

Endemic to the Philippines (Luzon).

Uses

The timber is used as bitis, similar to M. betis. The fruit is edible and resembles Manilkara zapota (L.) P. van Royen (sapodilla) in taste.

Observations

• Tree, about 20 m tall, containing latex in all parts.
• Leaves simple, leathery, loosely clustered at tips of twigs, obovate to elliptical, 6-13 cm × 3-7 cm, secondary veins joined in arches near margin, glabrous, stipules very small or absent.
• Inflorescences on lowest part of leafy branchlets, with 5-7 flowers.
• Flowers with sepals (almost) glabrous and often tufted with some dark hairs at apex, 8-lobed corolla pubescent near apex of lobes on both sides, 15-16 stamens and glabrous pistil except for a few hairs at base of ovary.
• Fruit a subglobose to ellipsoid berry, about 2 cm diameter, with a thin rough skin.
• Seeds oblongoid, with thin testa, albumen thin, cotyledons thick.

M. obovatifolia is found in primary forest at low altitudes. The reddish-brown timber is obtainable in very limited quantities.

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 den Assem, J., 1953. Revision of the Sapotaceae of the Malaysian area in a wider sense. 4. Ganua Pierre ex Dubard. Blumea 7: 364-400.

484, 486, 728, 752. Timbers

Main genus page

• Madhuca (Timbers)

Authors

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

• R.H.M.J. Lemmens (selection of species) (Timbers)