Shorea bracteolata

Dyer

Dipterocarpaceae Edible: Nuts - oil

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Description

A tropical tree in the Dipterocarpaceae family that produces nuts.

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Edible Uses

The nuts are processed for oil.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant.

Where It Grows

Asia, Malaysia, SE Asia,

Cultivation

A plant of lowland areas in the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 600 metres.

Propagation

We have no specific information for this species - the information below is a general guide for the genus. Seed - best sown as soon as possible. It does not require pre-treatment, but it is recommended to soak the seed for 12 hours prior to sowing. The seeds are sown in seedbeds, where they are covered with a mixture of sand and soil (1:1) or with a thin layer of sawdust. Germination of fresh seeds is usually good and rapid. About two weeks after germination, when the seedlings are 5 - 6cm tall, they are potted up into individual containers about 15 x 23cm with good drainage holes at their base. It is normally recommended to use a mixture of forest soil and sand (at a ratio of 3:1) as the potting medium in order to introduce the appropriate mycorrhiza to the roots. The seedlings are placed in 50 - 60% sunlight and watered twice daily. Seedlings can be planted out when 30 - 40cm tall - harden the seedlings off in full sunlight for one month prior to planting.

Other Uses

A dammar, known as 'Tangkawang fat' is obtained from the tree. It is used for candle making, soap manufacture and for illumination. Dammar is a hard resin, obtained from various trees of Southeast Asia. Traditionally, it is used for purposes such as caulking boats and baskets, as an adhesive, a medicine, as a fuel for torches and sometimes in foods. Dammar has many commercial applications, though many of these uses are less important nowadays due to the advent of synthetic materials. Commercially, it is an ingredient of inks, lacquers, oil paints, varnishes etc, and is used as a glazing agent in foods. Harvesting of the resin commences when the bole is around 25cm in diameter (approx 20 years old). Triangular cuts (becoming circular with age) are arranged in vertical rows around the trunk. The cuts are several centimetres wide at first, but become enlarged at every tapping and eventually become holes of 15 - 20cm in depth and width. The average number of holes for a tree about 30 metres tall and 60 - 80cm in diameter is 9 - 11 in each of 4 - 5 vertical rows. For the higher holes, the tapper climbs the tree supported by a rattan belt and using the lower holes as footholds. The exuded resin is allowed to dry on the tree before it is collected. The frequency with which the tree is visited to refreshen the cut varies from once a week to once a month, depending on how far the tree is from the village. Tapping can continue for 30 years. The yellow to brownish wood is used for boards and building vessels. The wood is a commercial source of timber known as 'White Meranti'. We do not have a specific description for this species, but the general description of white meranti wood is as follows:- The heartwood is creamy white, becoming yellow-brown with age; it is not clearly demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or interlocked with a ribbon-like aspect on quartersawn wood. The wood is of medium weight, moderately hard, moderately durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. The drying rate is normal to rapid with a slight risk of distortion; once dry it is stable in service. The wood has a high silica content and is hard to work, requiring stellite-tipped and tungsten-carbide tools; there is a tendency to woolliness, and filling is required to obtain a good finish; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct. The wood is used for purposes such as light constructions, plywood and veneer, as door and window frames, and for posts, beams, joists, rafters, planking, light flooring, ceiling, furniture, boat building etc.