Litsea obtusata
Fern.-Vill.
Lauraceae
Cylicodaphne obtusata Meisn.
Common Name:
General Information
Litsea obtusata is an evergreen tree. The bole can be 40cm or more in diameter[
721- Title
- Commercial Woods of the Philippines; Their Preparation and Uses
- Publication
- Philippines Bureau of Forestry Bulletin No. 14
- Author
- Schneider E.E.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Bureau of Forestry; Manilla.
- Year
- 1916
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A series of booklets dealing with various aspects of the Philippine forests. This volume looks at the preparation and uses of the commercial woods of the Philippines. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is mainly used locally and is a very popular wood for carving and maing religious icons.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Southeast Asia - Philippines.
Habitat
Not known
Properties
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 0.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The heartwood is a bright golden-yellow when fresh, darkening somewhat with exposure; it is not clearly demarcated from the 1 - 3cm wide band of pale yellow sapwood that generally turns to a pale yellowish or greenish brown in
seasoning. The texture is fine, with a smooth waxy feel; the grain is straight; there is a faint odour, reminding one of both cedar and camphor. The wood is soft to moderately hard; light in weight; moderately durable and rarely attacked by insects. It seasons well. The wood works easily and well; it takes a glossy cut under sharp tools. It is much used locally for carving and sculpture, especially of sacred images. Indeed, the wood of this, and several other species with very similar woods are all traded under the name 'baticulin' and are considered the best of all Philippine woods for carving. The wood is also used for panelling for doors, altars, wardrobes, carriages; ceiling and sheathing; musical instruments; cabinetwork; pyrography[
721- Title
- Commercial Woods of the Philippines; Their Preparation and Uses
- Publication
- Philippines Bureau of Forestry Bulletin No. 14
- Author
- Schneider E.E.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Bureau of Forestry; Manilla.
- Year
- 1916
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A series of booklets dealing with various aspects of the Philippine forests. This volume looks at the preparation and uses of the commercial woods of the Philippines. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
There are a number of tree species (including this one) from southeast Asia that are in the family Lauraceae and produce a useful timber that is either not distinct enough in itself, or is in insufficient supply, to warrant being traded individually. These various species have been lumped together under the trade name ‘medang’[
467- Title
- The Philippine Journal of Science. Vol. 4
- Publication
-
- Author
- Freer P.C. (Editor)
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- The Bureau of Science, Philippines.
- Year
- 1909
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A number of articles on Philippine plants, including one on the qualities of Philippine woods.
,
895- Title
- Timber Notes - Light Hardwoods II
- Publication
- Timber Technology Bulletin No. 10
- Author
- Gan K.S.; Lim S.C.; Choo K.T.
- Publisher
- Forest Research Institute; Malaysia
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 139-258
- Description
- Part of an excellent series of publications, this one giving a brief guide to five lesser known groups of light hardwoods from southeast Asia. It is available in PDF format on the Internet.
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
