5118

5(3): Timber trees; Lesser-known timbers

Chrysophyllum L.

Sp. pl. 1: 192 (1753); Gen. pl., ed. 5: 88 (1754).

SAPOTACEAE

x = 13; C. cainito: 2n = 24, 26, C. oliviforme L.: 2n = 52

Nyatoh (trade name). Chrysophyllum, padang (En). Indonesia: nyatuh. Malaysia: pepulut (Peninsular). Philippines: nato, white nato. Thailand: masang. Vietnam: v[us] s[uwx]a.

Chrysophyllum comprises about 70 species, 43 in the Neotropics, about 15 in Africa, about 10 in Madagascar and 3 in the Asiatic tropics from Sri Lanka and India to Indo-China, southern China, Thailand and the Malesian region, east to the Solomon Islands. Two of the latter three species, C. cainito and C. oliviforme, have been introduced from the Americas.

The wood of Chrysophyllum is used for general construction under cover, such as planking, light framing, flooring, interior trim, lining, shelving, cladding, panelling and partitioning. It is also suitable for mouldings, light tool handles, dowels, inlaying, carving, joinery, furniture and cabinet making. Good quality veneer and plywood as well as a good quality paper can be obtained from Chrysophyllum wood.
C. cainito and C. oliviforme are primarily cultivated for their edible fruits ("star apple""). The first also yields useful timber; its branches are used as a medium to grow orchids, and it is appreciated as an ornamental. The fruits of C. lanceolatum are also edible but less tasty.

Chrysophyllum timber is not traded separately but generally mixed with timber from other Sapotaceae genera and sold as "nyatoh"". Supplies are limited and it forms only a very minor proportion of the timber traded in this trade group. Very small amounts of Chrysophyllum are exported from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to Japan in mixed log consignments of lightweight hardwood.

The following description only refers to C. lanceolatum. It yields a medium-weight to heavy hardwood with a density of 450-935 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content. A strikingly large difference was observed between samples from different regions: the average density of 6 samples from Peninsular Malaysia was 815 kg/m³, whereas the average of 15 samples from Irian Jaya was only 530 kg/m³. Heartwood yellow-white or yellow-brown, not sharply demarcated from the sapwood; grain straight or shallowly interlocked; texture very fine and even; wood with a faint sour scent. Growth rings visible with a hand lens as darker zones lacking parenchyma at the end of a growth ring; vessels very small to medium-sized, almost all in radial multiples of 2-11, aligned radially, or in occasional clusters, open, not visible to the naked eye; parenchyma moderately abundant, apotracheal in numerous narrow, regular bands (reticulate), usually only visible with a hand lens, and diffuse-in-aggregates; rays very fine or moderately fine, just visible to the naked eye; ripple marks absent.
Shrinkage upon seasoning is low. The wood seasons well with little degrade but is susceptible to blue stain. The wood is soft to hard, weak and brittle. The wood planes to a very smooth surface with little picking up even on radial faces, it needs little filling and polishes well. It is non-durable and the permeability for preservatives is low, but is satisfactory under pressure. The sapwood is non-susceptible to Lyctus.
See also the tables on microscopic wood anatomy and wood properties.

Evergreen, small to very large trees (sometimes shrubs or rarely lianas in other continents) up to 55 m tall; bole usually straight, cylindrical but often fluted or spurred at base, branchless for up to 40 m, up to 85 cm in diameter, buttresses small or absent; bark surface smooth to irregularly fissured, grey or purplish grey to blackish, inner bark fibrous, orange-white mottled to yellow-white, exuding white latex. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, with numerous secondary veins connected by intramarginal ones, exstipulate. Flowers in an axillary fascicle; sepals 5; corolla 5-lobed; stamens 5, attached to the corolla tube, staminodes absent; ovary superior, 5-10-locular with 1 ovule per cell, style included. Fruit a 1-many-seeded berry with laterally compressed seeds. Seedling with epigeal germination; cotyledons emergent, leafy; hypocotyl elongated; all leaves alternate.
Growth form is according to Troll's architectural tree model, characterized by all axes being plagiotropic and the stem built up by continuous superposition of branches thus being sympodial. In Java C. lanceolatum flowers in May-August. The flowers are pollinated by insects. During maturation fruits of C. lanceolatum change from light brown to light green or butter-coloured. Fruits of C. cainito are dispersed by bats. Due to fragmentation of the Sungei Menyala forest (Peninsular Malaysia) the mammals that once ate and dispersed the seed of C. lanceolatum have disappeared and today piles of rotting fruits accumulate below the parent trees.
Three varieties have been distinguished within C. lanceolatum: var. stellatocarpon v. Royen ex Vink occurring from Sri Lanka to Sumatra, var. lanceolatum from Java, Borneo, the Philippines, Sulawesi and New Guinea, and var. papuanum C.T. White from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

C. lanceolatum occurs scattered or in small groups in primary rain forest, from sea-level up to 1600 m altitude. It has been found on loam, clay, sandy clay, sand and volcanic tuff soils in perhumid to slightly seasonal conditions.

Chrysophyllum can be propagated by seed. The fruit-producing species are propagated vegetatively. Natural regeneration is best at about 50% relative light intensity. Seeds of C. cainito cannot be stored. They have about 70% germination in 14-40 days and those of C. lanceolatum about 65% germination in 18-43 days.

The risk of genetic erosion of C. lanceolatum is determined by the conservation of primary forest habitats throughout its area of distribution.

The use of Chrysophylum wood is not expected to increase.

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S.I. Wiselius

Chrysophyllum cainito
Chrysophyllum lanceolatum

Wiselius, S.I., 1998. Chrysophyllum L.. In: Sosef, M.S.M., Hong, L.T. and Prawirohatmodjo, S. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 5(3): Timber trees; Lesser-known timbers. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea

The following species in this genus are important in this commodity group and are treated separatedly in this database:
Chrysophyllum cainito
Chrysophyllum lanceolatum