Shorea submontana (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Shorea submontana Sym.

Protologue: Gard. Bull. Str. Settl. 10: 368 (1939).

Synonyms

• Shorea costata King (1893) non (Correa) Presl.

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: balau gajah (Peninsular).

Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia.

Uses

The timber is used as balau.

Observations

• A large tree with rough bole sometimes over 125 cm in diameter and prominent buttresses.
• Leaves ovate to obovate, thinly leathery, 7-20 cm × 4-10 cm, with 9-14 pairs of secondary veins, non-glaucous, petiole 15-33 mm long.
• Petals narrow, stamens c. 20, the appendages with a few bristles.
• Fruit calyx lobes unequal, larger three up to 9 cm × 1.8 cm.

S. submontana is locally very common on high hills at (350-)800-1000 m altitude. The density of the wood is 895-1090 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content.

Selected sources

258, 677, 748.

Main genus page

• Shorea (balau)

Authors

• M.S.M. Sosef (selection of species)