Shorea palembanica
Miq.
Sumatran meranti tree
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Andre Ronaldo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Andre Ronaldo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Andre Ronaldo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A large tree. It grows 60 m tall and can be 125 cm across the trunk. It has buttresses. The bark is grey to light brown. The leaves are alternate and oval or oblong. They are 8-25 cm long by 4-10 cm wide. They are wavy. The flowers are pale yellow. The fruit is an oval nut with short pale brown hairs. They are in groups in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. There are 3 longer calyx lobes that are oval and strap shaped and 5 cm long by 0.7 cm wide. and then 2 shorter lobes.
Edible Uses
The seeds are a source of 'Borneo Tallow', a hard, brittle and solid fat that resembles cacao butter (obtained from Theobroma cacao) and can be used as a substitute for it.
Medicinal Uses
An edible fat obtained from the seed is easily absorbed by the skin. It can be used to treat skin problems and is often used as a carrier to apply other substances to the skin.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows along rivers banks and in fresh water swamps up to 1,000 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Singapore,
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seeds.
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
The seeds of many species in this genus, including this species, yield an oil that has an unusually high melting point and is solid at room temperature. Average yields range from 45 - 70% according to species. The fat is somewhat similar to Cacao butter (obtained from Theobroma spp.) and can be used in a variety of ways, often combined with cacao butter. In addition to it being edible, it has medicinal uses and can be used in making soap, candles, polishes and cosmetics. The ovoid seeds are up to 35mm long and 25mm wide. The heartwood is dark pink-brown to a dark-red, weathering to a dark red-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the sapwood, which is yellowish with a grey tinge. The texture is coarse and even; the grain is interlocked and sometimes wavy; white-coloured resin canals may be seen on the surface; planed surfaces are lustrous witha prominent stripe figure. The wood is not durable when exposed to the elements. It is easy to saw, plane, turn, bore and peel; it produces a smooth planed surface. An extremely popular general utility timber, it is suitable for furniture, high class interior finishing, flooring, panelling and partitioning, mouldings and skirtings, fancy doors, sliced and rotary cut veneers.
References (5)
- Ashton, P.S., 1982, Dipterocarpaceae in Flora Malesiana 9(2) p 513
- Blicher-Mathiesen, U., 1994, Borneo Illipe, A Fat Product from Different Shorea spp. (Dipterocarpaceae). Economic Botany Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 231-242
- Coolen, Q. T., 2013, The Illipe nut (Shorea spp.) as additional resource in plantation forestry. Van Hall Larenstein University and Sarawak Forestry.
- Fl. Ned. Ind., Eerste bijv. 487. 1861
- Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 510
