Common Name:

General Information

Shorea contorta is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 50 metres tall. The straight bole is usually unbranched for 15 - 20 metres, it can be 60 - 150cm in diameter with buttresses[, ].
The tree is commonly harvested from the wild for its wood, which is traded internationally.
The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Philippines.

Habitat

Forests; common in more or less seasonal, evergreen rain forest at elevations up to 700 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	45.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is creamy white to pinkish white, becoming light brown with age, sometimes with the presence of white lines; it is not clearly demarcated from the 5 - 9cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is coarse; the grain straight or interlocked with a visible darker silver figure on quartersawn wood. The wood is light in weight, soft, moderately durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. The wood seasons well with only a slight risk of checking or distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It can be worked with normal tools, though these need to be kept sharp because there are risks of tearing in edging and a tendency to woolliness; nailing and screwing are poor; gluing is correct. The wood has many uses including for interior joinery and panelling, boxes and crates, plywood, moulding[].

Propagation

We have no specific information for this species - the information below is a general guide for the genus.

Seed - best sown as soon as possible. It does not require pre-treatment, but it is recommended to soak the seed for 12 hours prior to sowing[]. The seeds are sown in seedbeds, where they are covered with a mixture of sand and soil (1:1) or with a thin layer of sawdust[]. Germination of fresh seeds is usually good and rapid. About two weeks after germination, when the seedlings are 5 - 6cm tall, they are potted up into individual containers about 15 x 23cm with good drainage holes at their base[]. It is normally recommended to use a mixture of forest soil and sand (at a ratio of 3:1) as the potting medium in order to introduce the appropriate mycorrhiza to the roots. The seedlings are placed in 50 - 60% sunlight and watered twice daily[].
Seedlings can be planted out when 30 - 40cm tall - harden the seedlings off in full sunlight for one month prior to planting[].

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