Record Number
3348
PROSEA Handbook Number
5(1): Timber trees; Major commercial timbers
Taxon
Alstonia spectabilis R.Br.
This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Alstonia in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.
This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Alstonia in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.
Protologue
Mem. Wern. Nat. Hist. Soc. 1: 76 (1811).
Synonyms
Alstonia villosa Blume (1826), Alstonia subsessilis Miq. (1868), Alstonia longissima F. v. Mueller (1877).
Vernacular Names
Hard milkwood (En). Indonesia: legarang (Java), pole (Timor), oli (Irian Jaya). Papua New Guinea: hard alstonia.
Distribution
Java, Borneo, the Philippines, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, New Guinea and northern Australia.
Uses
The wood is used as hard alstonia and is suitable for building houses and bridges; it is also used for household implements.
Observations
A medium-sized to fairly large tree of up to 40 m tall, bole up to 60 cm in diameter; leaves on a 0-2 cm long petiole, usually in whorls of 3, 10-30 cm long, oblong-lanceolate, shortly acuminate to obtuse and with about 15 pairs of secondary veins; calyx and corolla white tomentose outside; follicles glabrous. Alstonia spectabilis is often common in rain forest up to 450 m altitude. The density of the wood is 600-800 kg/m3 at 15% moisture content.
Selected Sources
[35]Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink, R.C., 1963–1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen.
[359]Keating, W.G. & Bolza, E., 1982. Characteristics, properties and uses of timbers. Vol. 1. South-East Asia, Northern Australia and the Pacific. Inkata Press Proprietary Ltd., Melbourne, Sydney & London. 362 pp.
[373]Koorders, S.H. & Valeton, T., 1913–1918. Atlas der Baumarten von Java [Atlas of tree species of Java]. 4 volumes. Fa. P.W.M. Trap, Leiden.
[455]Markgraf, F., 1974. Florae Malesianae praecursores LIV. Apocynaceae part III. 9. Alstonia. Blumea 22: 20–29.
[496]Monachino, J., 1949. A revision of the genus Alstonia (Apocynaceae). Pacific Science 3: 133–182.
[671]Suttie, W.R., 1969. Manual of the forest trees of Papua and New Guinea, part 9 – Apocynaceae. Department of Forests, Port Moresby. 52 pp.
[359]Keating, W.G. & Bolza, E., 1982. Characteristics, properties and uses of timbers. Vol. 1. South-East Asia, Northern Australia and the Pacific. Inkata Press Proprietary Ltd., Melbourne, Sydney & London. 362 pp.
[373]Koorders, S.H. & Valeton, T., 1913–1918. Atlas der Baumarten von Java [Atlas of tree species of Java]. 4 volumes. Fa. P.W.M. Trap, Leiden.
[455]Markgraf, F., 1974. Florae Malesianae praecursores LIV. Apocynaceae part III. 9. Alstonia. Blumea 22: 20–29.
[496]Monachino, J., 1949. A revision of the genus Alstonia (Apocynaceae). Pacific Science 3: 133–182.
[671]Suttie, W.R., 1969. Manual of the forest trees of Papua and New Guinea, part 9 – Apocynaceae. Department of Forests, Port Moresby. 52 pp.
Author(s)
Rudjiman
Correct Citation of this Article
Rudjiman, 1993. Alstonia spectabilis R.Br.. In: Soerianegara, I. and Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 5(1): Timber trees; Major commercial timbers. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea
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