Vatica bella (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Vatica bella v. Slooten

Protologue: Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3, 9: 102 (1927).

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: resak keluang, damar keluang (Peninsular).

Distribution

Southern Peninsular Malaysia.

Uses

The timber is used as resak.

Observations

• A large tree, up to 50 m tall with bole up to 45 cm in diameter.
• Leaves elliptical to obovate, 5-14 cm × 2-6 cm, with (9-)11-12 pairs of secondary veins, glabrous except midrib, petiole 5-15 mm long.
• Inflorescences congested, up to 2 cm long.
• Flower buds up to 8 mm long.
• Nut up to 25 mm long, surrounded by 5 equal fruit calyx lobes, spreading and becoming reflexed.

V. bella is locally common in mixed dipterocarp forest below 250 m altitude, more rare in hill forest up to 500 m. The wood is not very heavy; oven-dry weight is recorded as 670-760 kg/m³, and density at 15% moisture content is 740-915 kg/m³.

Selected sources

102, 253, 425, 677, 748.

Main genus page

• Vatica

Authors

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