5924

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

Neolitsea (Benth.) Merr.

Philipp. Journ. Sci. 1, Suppl.: 56 (1906).

LAURACEAE

x = 12; N. zeylanica: 2n = 48 + (0-5)B

Medang (trade name). Indonesia: huru (Javanese), makila (Ambon). Burma (Myanmar): kyese.

Neolitsea comprises about 80 species occurring from Sri Lanka and India towards Indo-China, China, Japan and Taiwan to Thailand, the whole of the Malesian region to northern Australia. Some 30 species are found within the Malesian region. China can be regarded as the centre of diversity.

The wood of Neolitsea has been used for light or temporary construction, house building, agricultural implements and is suitable for handicrafts. In general, "medang"" timber is suitable for interior finish, furniture, boat building, and for veneer and plywood production.
The bark of many species contains alkaloids, and medicinal application of the bark has been reported for several species. The leaves of N. vidalii yield a glutinous substance which, when mixed with mortar, adds to the strength of the latter. The leaves of N. cassiaefolia are reported to cure scabies and ring worm infections.

The timber of Neolitsea is traded together with that of many other Lauraceae genera as "medang"", but probably constitutes only a minor portion of the total amount traded. In 1984 the total export of medang from Peninsular Malaysia to Singapore was 1500 m³ with a value of US$ 62 000. In 1992 the export from Sabah amounted to 52 000 m³ (of which about 10% was sawn timber) with a total value of US$ 4.3 million. In Papua New Guinea the minimum export price for medang logs was US$ 43/m³ in 1992. Japan imports medang mainly from Sabah and Sarawak and Papua New Guinea.

Neolitsea yields a medium-weight hardwood with a density of 590-740 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content. Heartwood greyish-brown, sharply demarcated from the paler sapwood; grain interlocked or wavy; texture fine and even; planed surface greasy to the touch; wood with distinct "fruity"" fragrance that may persist for years. Growth rings distinct or indistinct; vessels moderately small to medium-sized, solitary or in radial multiples of 2-4, tyloses abundant; parenchyma sparse to moderately abundant, paratracheal vasicentric; rays very fine to moderately fine, inconspicuous on radial surface; ripple marks absent.
Medang wood is of medium strength, hard and generally easy to saw and machine; an anti-stain treatment should be applied directly after sawing. The wood of Neolitsea is moderately durable to durable under cover and non-durable in contact with the ground. The heartwood of medang is generally very resistant and the sapwood amenable to preservative treatment, but the sapwood of N. vidalii is resistant to impregnation. Most species are attacked by termites and their sapwood is susceptible to Lyctus. The heartwood of N. vidalii is resistant to dry-wood termites and its sapwood is non-susceptible to Lyctus. The gross energy value of N. vidalii is about 18 830 kJ/kg.
See also the table on microscopic wood anatomy.

Evergreen, dioecious shrubs or small to medium-sized trees up to 25 m tall; bole usually straight and slender, branchless for up to 18 m, up to 60 cm in diameter, without buttresses; bark surface smooth, greyish, inner bark whitish or pale brown to orange-white or reddish, often fragrant. Leaves arranged spirally to opposite or even in pseudowhorls, often tripliveined, usually with areolate venation, exstipulate; bud scales large, leaving ring-like scars on the twigs. Flowers unisexual, in an axillary cluster or short raceme of 3-7-flowered umbellules with each umbellule enclosed by 4 bracts; tepals 4, with a short tube. Male flowers with 6 stamens in 3 whorls, those of the inner whorl with 2 glands at base, anthers 4-celled, opening by valves. Female flowers with superior ovary, unilocular with 1 ovule, stigma peltate. Fruit a 1-seeded, black or sometimes red berry, seated on a disk-shaped perianth tube, pedicel often slightly thickened. Seedling with hypogeal germination; cotyledons not emergent, peltate; hypocotyl not developed; epicotyl with a few scales; first few leaves arranged spirally.
In Java N. cassiaefolia flowers from March to October and bears fruits in October, N. javanica flowers in March and April. The seeds are dispersed by birds.
Like most other genera of the Lauraceae, Neolitsea is in desperate need of a thorough taxonomic revision. Identifications at species level are often very doubtful, rendering the scarce information available even less useful.

Timber-yielding species of Neolitsea are found in evergreen, primary and secondary rain forest, mainly from sea-level up to 1200(-1700) m altitude. N. javanica is found in montane forest at 1500-2400 m. N. cassia occurs along sandy and rocky coasts.

Neolitsea can be propagated by seed. Seeds of N. brassii germinate in 30-170 days.

Because of the scarcity of botanical knowledge, it is difficult to assess the risk of genetic erosion or the degree of threat of the presently recognized Neolitsea species. For species with a limited geographical distribution, however, the threat may be appreciable.

Utilization of Neolitsea is very limited and its wood qualities are still poorly known. In the near future its use is unlikely to transcend local level.

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[740]Malaysian Timber Industry Board, 1984. Peraturan pemeringkatan kayu keras gergaji Malaysia [The Malaysian grading rules for sawn hardwood timber]. Ministry of Primary Industries, Kuala Lumpur. 109 pp.
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S. Suhandono

Neolitsea amboinensis
Neolitsea brassii
Neolitsea cassia
Neolitsea cassiaefolia
Neolitsea javanica
Neolitsea novoguinensis
Neolitsea vidalii

Suhandono, S., 1998. Neolitsea (Benth.) Merr.. 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:
Neolitsea amboinensis
Neolitsea brassii
Neolitsea cassia
Neolitsea cassiaefolia
Neolitsea javanica
Neolitsea novoguinensis
Neolitsea vidalii