Payena maingayi

C. B. Clarke

iNaturalist· cc-by

Summary

Payena maingayi is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae. It is found in Malaysia and Singapore.

Description

A tree. It can grow 35-50 m tall. The trunk can be 80 cm across. It has buttresses. The leaves are oblong to swr\ord shaped and hairy underneath. The flowers are 1.6 cm long and white to pale yellow. The fruit is oval and 2-3.5 cm long. It has short hairs.

Edible Uses

The oblong to elliptic fruit is a dryish berry 25 - 35mm x 15 - 20mm with a thin, fleshy pericarp and usually a single, large seed.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant.

Where It Grows

Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand,

Cultivation

Species in this genus will generally grow in a variety of soils.

Other Uses

Wood. The wood is used for fuel. We do not have any more specific information on the wood of this species, but it belongs to a group of timbers collectively called 'Nyatoh'. The general description of nyatoh wood is as follows:- The heartwood is a dark pink to a red-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the 4 - 9cm wide band of lighter-coloured sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or interlocked, sometimes wavy. The wood is light in weight, soft to moderately hard; strong, somewhat durable, being resistant to dry wood borers, moderately resistant to fungi but susceptible to termites. It seasons somewhat slowly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is stable in service. There is a very variable content of silica according to the species, but in general the wood has a high blunting effect so stellite-tipped and tungsten-carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct. The wood has a range of applications, including for high class furniture and cabinet making, solid doors, panelling, joinery, parquet flooring, boat decking, light carpentry, turnery, moulding and veneer.