3849

5(1): Timber trees; Major commercial timbers

Shorea obtusa Wallich ex Blume

This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Shorea (balau and red balau) in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.

Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 2: 32, pl. 8 (1862).

Burma: thitya. Cambodia: phchök. Laos: chik. Thailand: teng (general). Vietnam: c[af] ch[aws]c (southern).

Burma, Cambodia, Laos, southern Vietnam and Thailand.

Shorea obtusa is an important source of balau timber used for high-grade outdoor constructions. The bark has tanniferous properties.

A small to medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall, bole branchless for up to 15 m, up to 65 cm in diameter, exuding dull yellowish dammar; bark scaly, thick, brown; leaves variable, generally oblong, 7.0—11.5 cm 3.5—9.5 cm, sparsely pubescent below, with 15—20 pairs of secondary veins; petals narrow, stamens 26—29, with a short ciliate appendage; fruit calyx lobes unequal, larger three up to 6 cm 1.1 cm. Shorea obtusa is common in dry deciduous dipterocarp forest at 200—1000 m altitude. The density of the wood is 830—1040 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content.

[235]Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viêtnam (various editors), 1960–. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
[258]Fundter, J.M., 1982. Names for dipterocarp timbers and trees from Asia. Pudoc, Wageningen. 251 pp.
[628]Smitinand, T., Santisuk, T. & Phengklai, C., 1980. The manual of Dipterocarpaceae of mainland South-East Asia. Thai Forestry Bulletin 12: 1–110.
[748]van Steenis, C.G.G.J. & de Wilde, W.J.J.O. (Editors), 1950–. Flora Malesiana. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London.

M.S.M. Sosef

Sosef, M.S.M., 1993. Shorea obtusa Wallich ex Blume. 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