Palaquium sumatranum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Palaquium sumatranum Burck

Protologue: Ann. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg 5: 34 (1886).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: balam sudu-sudu, balam pipit (Sumatra), nyato gummy (Kalimantan)
• Thailand: phikun pa (Trang).

Distribution

Southern Thailand, Sumatra, the Riau Archipelago, Belitung, and Borneo (Kalimantan, Sabah).

Uses

The timber is used as nyatoh.

Observations

• A large tree up to 45 m tall, with columnar bole up to 80 cm in diameter.
• Leaves evenly distributed, narrowly elliptical or elliptical to obovate, with distinct, reticulate tertiary veins often parallel to secondary veins, glabrous on both sides.
• Flowers in 2-5-flowered clusters, borne on 5-10 mm long pedicels (up to 22 mm in fruit), greenish or brownish-white.
• Fruit ovoid, obovoid or ellipsoid, 2-5 cm long, glabrous.

P. sumatranum grows in primary forest in the lowland, sometimes up to 1200 m altitude.

Selected sources

318, 743.

Main genus page

• Palaquium (Timbers)

Authors

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