Shorea glauca (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Shorea glauca King

Protologue: Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 62(2): 117 (1893).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: balau bunga, rasak pai, semantok lungkik (western Sumatra)
• Malaysia: balag tiong, damar laut daun besar, selimbar (Peninsular)
• Thailand: ek, ku-be (peninsular).

Distribution

Peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and western Sumatra.

Uses

The timber is used as balau. Old specimens exude a dammar which is purer than that of many other Shorea species.

Observations

• A medium-sized to large tree up to 50 m tall with cylindrical bole branchless for 18-27 m and 120-160(-250) cm in diameter and with prominent buttresses.
• Leaves ovate to lanceolate, 6-15 cm × 2.3-9 cm, thin, with 7-10 pairs of secondary veins hardly raised beneath, lower surface glaucous.
• Petals short, elliptical-oblong, stamens c. 60, with barbate appendages.
• Fruit calyx lobes unequal, larger three up to 7 cm × 1.8 cm.

S. glauca occurs locally and often semi-gregariously, especially on rocky slopes and ridges, from sea-level up to 500(-600) m altitude. The density of the wood is 840-1135 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content. See also the table on wood properties.

Selected sources

102, 253, 258, 297, 318, 417, 446, 628, 677, 748.

Main genus page

• Shorea (balau)

Authors

• M.S.M. Sosef (selection of species)