Common Name:

General Information

Gonystylus forbesii is a tree; it can grow from 20 - 55 metres tall. The straight bole can be 35 - 85cm in diameter with buttresses up to 170cm tall[, , ].
The tree is an important commercial source of ramin timber, and is often harvested from the wild for its wood, which is used locally and also exported.
There is limited population information for Gonystylus forbesii, but it is generally considered to be rare and the population is thought to be in decline as a result of exploitation for timber coupled with the decline and fragmentation of native habitat. The species also suffers from poor regeneration in the wild and a slow rate of growth. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southeast Asia - Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan), Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak).

Habitat

An upper canopy tree, growing in undisturbed mixed dipterocarp, keranga and sub-montane forests; found on hillsides and ridges with sandy soils; at elevations up to 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	43.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Found in the wild mainly on sandy soils[].
A slow-growing plant, taking around 50 years to commence producing seed[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A source of ramin timber[]. We do not have any more detailed information for this species, but the general description of ramin timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is a creamy white to light yellow; it is not demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is fine; the grain straight or interlocked; the unseasoned wood has an unpleasant aroma. The wood is moderately heavy; moderately hard; not durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons somewhat slowly, with a high risk of checking but only a slight risk of distortion; once dry it is moderately to poorly stable in service. The wood can be workd with ordinary tools, though there is a risk of splinters in cross cutting; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct. The wood has a wide range of uses including for cabinet making, high class furniture, flooring, turnery, joinery and veneer[].
Ramin timber is a whitish, light-weight wood that is highly prized and popular as a decorative cabinet wood. The timber is also widely used in the manufacture of furniture and various items of interior decoration such as wall-panelling, light flooring, turnery, venetian blind slats, picture frames, drawing boards, and a few others. In construction industry, the timber is commonly used for making planks, door and window frames, mouldings, skirtings, ceilings, partitionings, and others. Ramin timber is also highly suitable for veneer, plywood, block-board, and particle-board manufacture[].

Propagation

Seed -

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