Month: November 2010

Bhesa paniculata
biku biku

S. India to Philippines. One of most widespread trees in Malaya. Up
to 40m tall and 2m girth.

Calophyllum curtisii
bintangor bunga

Large genus mostly tropical Asia to Pacific; in Malaya 45 spp. Canopy,
but not emergent, and mostly slim girth. This sp. common throughout
Malaya except Perlis, on hillsides and ridges.

Calophyllum floribundum
bintangor kuning

Large genus of more than 120 species; mostly in tropical Asia. This
one is common throughout Malay and Borneo.

Calophyllum inophyllum
bintangor laut

Big tree, massive girth, often leaning, branching low. Rocky and sandy
coasts, widespread, a member of the Indo Pacific strand flora, ranging
from India to Fiji.

Calophyllum macrocarpum
bintangor bunut

Large genus mostly tropical Asia to Pacific; in Malaya 45 spp. Throughout
Malaya, commonest in centre. Borneo. This sp. v. big, to 45m and 5m
girth, no buttresses. Squirrels eat the large, ellipsoid- ovoid, juicy
& fragrant fruit.

Calophyllum retusum
bintangor gambut

Endemic, Pahang, Selangor, southwards. Peat and fresh water swamp forest. Big tree to 50m, no buttresses, leaf stalk long & slender, midrib narrowly channeled at base above, prominent below.

Calophyllum sclerophyllum
bintangor jangkang

Malaya, Borneo. Coastal, Trengganu to Johor; these from Pekan FR. Big tree, often w/stilt roots, twigs stout 4 angles, leaf stalk dries black, very leathery.

Calophyllum sp.
bintangor

Large genus of 120 spp, most in tropical Asia to Pacific, 45 in Malaya, this one not yet described. Leaves distinctly stalked, fruit a drupe. 3 new specimens Dec 2007.

Kayea grandis (previously Mesua grandis)
penaga bayan, penaga sabut

Borneo. Trengganu, Perak southwards. To 33m, but flowers at 3m. Bark
smooth becomes cracked and fissured, ridges adherent scaly. Flowers
tight terminal clusters. Fruit in 4 thin woody sepals.

Kayea lepidota (previously Mesua lepidota)
penaga bayan, penaga tikus

Sumatra, Malaya (exc. north). Lowland. Small, to 20m, bole fluted
at butt, bark adherent scaly, sometimes dippled. Flowers in axillary
and terminal umbels, black woody fruits. Stout leaf stalk, to 5mm. 2 new specimens June 2008.

Mesua ferrea
penaga

SW India to peninsula Siam. Throughout Malaya, but rare south of NS. To 24 m, 4m grith. Common and sometimes gregarious, on thin well drained soil. Bole fluted at butt. Leaves elliptic (6-12cm long) tapered to apex and base. White flowers fragrant, showy to 9cm across. Fruits ellipsoid, slightly beaked.

Canarium littorale
kedondong bulan

Sumatra, Indo-China, Borneo, Java. Commonest Canarium from all states. Up to 40m and 2m girth. Bark grey green to yellowish brown, dippled and scaly, many small lenticles.

Dacryodes kingii

kedondong

Throughout Malaya, common, endemic. Small tree or large shrub in lowland and hill Dipterocarp forest. Name from Greek, dakruon, a tear, referring to resin droplets on bark surface. Located NW of Bulatan Plong.

Dacryodes rostrata
kedondong kerut

Indo-china, Indonesia. All states exc. Kelantan. 12 spp. in Malaya, in lowland and hill Dipterocarp forests, & swamp. Large tree w/small buttresses. Leaf rachis strongly swollen at junction with leaf stalk; flowers Mar-Oct, fruits Sep-Mar. Leaflets rigidly papery.

Pteleocarpa lamponga
lamponga, singha

Medium to large trees. Bole dark brown , smooth with pale lenticels in perpendicular rows. Leaves without stipules, obovate, flowers bright yellow in many branched panicles. Fruit flat, winged. In Pasoh FR, found in swampy habitat.

Ploiarium alternifolium

reriang

Few spp confined to Malesia & Indo-China. Shrub or tree to 10m in secondary and swampy forests, and occasionally on isolated mountain tops.

Fr TH 6.2012.

Bombax valetonii (Gr., bombux – silk)
wild kapok, kekabu hutan

Frequent in forest north of KL. Deciduous with thorny trunks & twigs; leaves palmate spiral, flowers Nov-Feb before new leaves; fruit large capsule full of down, used as kapok. To 45m.

Dolichandrone spathacea

tui

India to New Caledonia. Tree of swampy low ground adjoining rice fields and mangroves, especially in Perlis and n. Kedah. Evergreen to 24 m, but generally smaller. Opposite leaves once pinnate with terminal leaflet. White fragrant flowers with long pipe-like corolla tube. Fruit to 45 cm long, curved, green to brown. Many seeds with thin corky wings.

Tecomanthe hillii

Climber. From Tunas Harapan 6.2012.

Hoya coriacea

White latex, leaves opposite, simple. Flowers waxy, radially symmetrical. 300 genera, 2,000 spp in tropics and subtropics, 32 genera and 155 spp in Malaya. 1 specimen December 2007.

Aristolochia tegala

Perennial herbaceous woody climber, leaf margins usually entire, no stipules. Bizarre flowers grow in leaf axils. Leaves toxic, but eaten by swallowtail caterpillars, butterflies then protected by toxin. 3 new specimens December 2007.