Madhuca betis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Madhuca betis (Blanco) J.F. Macbr.

Protologue: Contr. Gray Herb. Harvard Univ., New Ser. 53: 18 (1918).

Synonyms

• Madhuca philippinensis Merr. (1922).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: puntik (Kalimantan), lotoo tulu, sulewe (Sulawesi)
• Philippines: betis (general), manilig (Magindanao), banitis (Bikol).

Distribution

The Philippines (Luzon, Mindoro, Mindanao), Borneo and Sulawesi.

Uses

The timber is used as bitis in the Philippines, for wharf, bridge, house and ship building. The oil from the seeds may be used for illumination, and the bark and leaves are used in traditional medicine.

Observations

• A fairly large tree up to 35(-45) m tall with bole up to 80(-100) cm in diameter.
• Leaves clustered at tips of twigs, narrowly obovate to obovate, 15-50 cm × 7-15 cm, secondary veins diminishing until inconspicuous near margin, yellowish-brown pubescent beneath, stipules up to 12 mm long, caducous.
• Flowers with sepals yellowish pubescent on both sides, 8-11-lobed glabrous corolla, 16-20 stamens and glabrous pistil.
• Fruit ellipsoid to oblong, 2-4 cm × 1.5-2 cm, 1-seeded.
• Seed with thin shining testa, membranous albumen and thick cotyledons.

M. betis occurs in primary lowland forest, in Sulawesi up to 300 m altitude. The timber is heavy, about 1000 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content. It is known as a strong and durable wood. In the Philippines the stands of M. betis are depleted due to logging and shifting cultivation. See also the table on wood properties.

Selected sources

102, 175, 484, 486, 578, 579, 733, 781.

Main genus page

• Madhuca (Timbers)

Authors

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