Heritiera simplicifolia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Heritiera simplicifolia (Masters) Kosterm.

Protologue: Penerb. Madj. Ilmu Peng. Indon. 1: 52 (1959). Also in: Reinwardtia 4: 514 (1959).

Synonyms

• Tarrietia simplicifolia Masters (1874).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: teraling (Sumatra)
• Malaysia: mengkulang siku keluang (Peninsular).

Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo.

Uses

The timber is commonly used as mengkulang, also for export.

Observations

• A large tree, up to 50 m tall with straight and columnar bole up to 135 cm in diameter, buttresses large.
• Leaves simple, densely scaly beneath, petioles 2.5-6 cm long.
• Panicles up to 9 cm long.
• Fruit with large wing, glabrous.

H. simplicifolia is the most important species of mengkulang timber. It is widely distributed but always occurs scattered in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest on flat or undulating terrain with well-drained clay soils, up to 300 m altitude. The wood is often traded together with Shorea spp. (dark red meranti). The mechanical properties of the wood are close to those of teak, but the wood is stiffer and tougher. The density of the wood is 520-890(-990) kg/m³ at 15% moisture content. See also the table on wood properties.

Selected sources

10, 33, 89, 100, 146, 159, 190, 226, 252, 260, 359, 378, 443, 447, 461, 758, 779, 786.

Main genus page

• Heritiera

Authors

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