5209

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

Diploknema Pierre

Arch. Néerl. Sci. Exact. Nat. 19: 103 (1884).

SAPOTACEAE

x = unknown; 2n = unknown

Nyatoh (trade name). Padang (En). Indonesia: nyatuh. Malaysia: nyatoh. Philippines: nato, red nato (En). Thailand: masang. All these names refer to most Sapotaceae genera.

Diploknema comprises about 10 species occurring from northern India and the Himalayas to Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, the Andaman Islands, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, the Philippines and the Moluccas (Ambon). The genus is quite rare within the Malesian region where it is represented by 3 species with restricted distribution.

The wood of Diploknema is used like "nyatoh"", e.g. for interior finish, light flooring, joinery, cabinet and furniture making, pattern making, ship planking and cheap boxes. The wood is suitable for the manufacture of veneer and plywood, as well as for the production of pulp and paper.
The seeds of D. sebifera produce an oil often referred to as "tengkawang"" oil, as it closely resembles the real tengkawang oil from various Shorea species; it is used for making soap and candles.

Wood of Diploknema spp. is generally traded as "nyatoh"" mixed with that of other Sapotaceae genera. In the Philippines it is sometimes mixed with red meranti (Shorea spp.). Supplies are, however, very limited.

Diploknema yields a medium-weight hardwood with a density of 460-580 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content. The wood of D. oligomera is reportedly very heavy and weighs 1060-1170 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content. Heartwood reddish-brown, not sharply demarcated from the pale red sapwood which is up to 4 cm wide; grain straight, occasionally wavy; texture rather fine to coarse, even. Growth rings indistinct; vessels moderately small to moderately large, almost all in radial multiples of up to 10, the vessels at both ends of a radial group being characteristically larger, tyloses occasionally present; parenchyma moderately abundant to abundant, apotracheal in narrow continuous or broken bands, not visible to the naked eye; rays fine, not visible to the naked eye; ripple marks absent.
Shrinkage of the wood is moderate; boards of D. sebifera take 2 months to air dry when 13 mm thick and 3 months when 38 mm thick. The wood seasons well with little or no checking and warping. It is soft and easy to work. It is moderately durable for interior use and non-durable to moderately durable when exposed to the weather or in contact with the ground. The average service life in graveyard tests with stakes of D. sebifera is 2.5 years. The heartwood is susceptible to dry-wood termites and the sapwood to Lyctus.
See also the tables on microscopic wood anatomy and wood properties.

Evergreen, medium-sized to large trees up to 48 m tall; bole columnar, up to 115 cm in diameter, without buttresses; inner bark fibrous, pinkish to reddish, exuding white latex. Leaves alternate, crowded towards the end of twigs, simple, entire; stipules caducous. Flowers fascicled, in axil of leaf scars, bisexual or unisexual and then trees dioecious; sepals (4-)5(-6); corolla 7-16-lobed; stamens (10-)16-30(-80), in 2-4 rows and inserted in the corolla throat, reduced to staminodes in female flowers; disk absent or small; ovary superior, 5-15-locular with 1 ovule per cell, style often exserted. Fruit a 1-3(-5)-seeded berry. Seeds large, with a broad scar. Seedling with semi-hypogeal germination; cotyledons emergent, fleshy; hypocotyl not elongated; first 2 leaves opposite, subsequent ones alternate-spiral; shoots orthotropic.
D. oligomera has been observed to flower in June and to bear fruits in September. D. ramiflora flowers in June. In Borneo D. sebifera bears fruits in May and June.

D. sebifera occurs in primary forest on sandy to loamy soils, sometimes with limestone, up to 300 m altitude.

Diploknema may be raised from seed. The germination rate of seed of D. sebifera is about 75% in 21-39 days.

As logging of Diploknema is not important, genetic conservation depends on the conservation of the habitat.

It is very unlikely that the utilization of Diploknema timber will increase, since its supply is very limited and the properties of the wood are only moderate.

[71]Baehni, C., 1965. Mémoire sur les Sapotacées. III. Inventaire des genres [Note on the Sapotaceae. III. Inventory of genera]. Boissiera 11: 1-262.
[156]Budi, A.S., 1993. Struktur des sekundären Xylems und Taxonomie der Südasiatisch-Pazifischen Sapotaceae [Structure of the secondary xylem and taxonomy of the South Asian-Pacific Sapotaceae]. Thesis, Universität Hamburg. 258 pp.
[162]Burgess, P.F., 1966. Timbers of Sabah. Sabah Forest Records No 6. Forest Department, Sabah, Sandakan. xviii + 501 pp.
[163]Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. 2nd edition. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur. Vol. 1 (A-H) pp. 1-1240. Vol. 2 (I-Z) pp. 1241-2444.
[343]Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêtnam (various editors), 1960-. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
[387]Grewal, G.S., 1979. Air-seasoning properties of some Malaysian timbers. Malaysian Forest Service Trade Leaflet No 41. Malaysian Timber Industry Board, Kuala Lumpur. 26 pp.
[436]Heyne, K., 1927. De nuttige planten van Nederlands-Indië [The useful plants of the Dutch East Indies]. 2nd edition, 3 volumes. Departement van Landbouw, Nijverheid en Handel in Nederlandsch-Indië. 1953 pp. (3rd edition, 1950. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage/Bandung. 1660 pp.).
[778]Meniado, J.A., 1980. About the wood nato (Chrysophyllum, Diploknema, Palaquium, Planchonella, Pouteria and Sideroxylum spp.) family: Sapotaceae. Forpride Digest 9(1): 19-34.
[780]Meniado, J.A. et al., 1975-1981. Wood identification handbook for Philippine timbers. 2 volumes. Government Printing Office, Manila. 370 pp. & 186 pp.
[829]Ng, F.S.P., 1991-1992. Manual of forest fruits, seeds and seedlings. 2 volumes. Malayan Forest Record No 34. Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong. 997 pp.
[831]Ng, F.S.P. & Mat Asri Ngah Sanah, 1991. Germination and seedling records. Research Pamphlet No 108. Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong. 191 pp.
[861]Oey Djoen Seng, 1951. De soortelijke gewichten van Indonesische houtsoorten en hun betekenis voor de praktijk [Specific gravity of Indonesian woods and its significance for practical use]. Rapport No 46. Bosbouwproefstation, Bogor. 183 pp.
[877]Pennington, T.D., 1991. The genera of Sapotaceae. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & New York Botanical Garden, New York. 295 pp.
[934]Reyes, L.J., 1938. Philippine woods. Technical Bulletin No 7. Commonwealth of the Philippines, Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Bureau of Printing, Manila. 536 pp. + 88 plates.
[1131]van Royen, P., 1958. Revision of the Sapotaceae of the Malaysian area in a wider sense XIV. Diploknema Pierre. Blumea 9: 75-88.
[1221]Whitmore, T.C. & Ng, F.S.P. (Editors), 1972-1989. Tree flora of Malaya. A manual for foresters. 4 volumes. Malayan Forest Records No 26. Longman Malaysia Sdn. Berhad, Kuala Lumpur & Petaling Jaya.
[1241]Wong, T.M., 1981. Malaysian timbers - nyatoh. Malaysian Forest Service Trade Leaflet No 54. Malaysian Timber Industry Board, Kuala Lumpur. 12 pp.
[1267]Zamuco, I.T., 1965. Wood anatomy of the Philippine Sapotaceae I. (Chrysophyllum, Pouteria, Diploknema, Manilkara, Mimusops). Forest Products Research Institute, College, Laguna. 14 pp.

A.S. Budi

Diploknema oligomera
Diploknema ramiflora
Diploknema sebifera

Budi, A.S., 1998. Diploknema Pierre. 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:
Diploknema oligomera
Diploknema ramiflora
Diploknema sebifera