Common Name:

General Information

Lithocarpus coopertus is an evergreen tree that can grow from 10 - 45 metres tall. The bole can be from 15 - 70cm in diameter with buttresses up to 200cm high, 150cm out and 10cm thick[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia (Kalimantan), Philippines

Habitat

Lowland to hill mixed dipterocarp forest, including kerangas and swamp forests; at elevations up to 900 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	27.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

In the tropics, the genus Lithocarpus is generally found in lowland to montane forests, usually below elevations of 2,000 metres occasionally to 3,000 metres. The genus usually grows in areas with year-round rainfall, disliking dry seasons.
Young plants usually grow sucessfully in the shade of woodland, but older trees like a more sunny position. Lithocarpus species are mainly found in well-drained soils, often growing on slopes; they tend to be tolerant of a range of soil textures and to prefer an acid to neutral pH. This species is often found in the wild in Kerangas forest - a type of moist, heath forest found on acidic, sandy soils that are low in nutrients, especially nitrogen[].

Edible Uses

The conical or ovoid seed is 15 - 20mm long with a thin shell[].
Although we have no specific information for this species, the seeds of all the species of Lithocarpus are more or less edible and most if not all of them will have been used for food in times of shortage, when better foods were not available.
The seed is usually cooked before eating, though it can also be eaten raw. It can be eaten whole, though it is more commonly dried, then ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread.
The main disadvantage of the seed is that it is often rich in tannins, making it bitter and astringent. These tannins can be largely removed by soaking the seeds in water then throwing the water away. The process should be repeated until the seed no longer tastes bitter.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The bark of most species is rich in tannins and can be used as a dye and preservative for ropes etc[].

The sapwood is whitish[]. The wood is used locally for purposes such as house building, fence posts, mining props, shingles, boat building, and for making tool handles, rice pounder, poles for carts etc[, ].
The wood makes a good fuel and can be used to make charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool, but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees[]. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.

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