Common Name:

General Information

Shorea obtusa is a deciduous tree that can grow from 10 - 30 metres tall. In larger trees the bole can be unbranched for up to 15 metres and generally around 60cm in diameter[].
The wood is of high commercial value and is commonly harvested from the wild and traded commercially. It also supplies a resin for local use and has various local medicinal applications.
The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam.

Habitat

Dry, deciduous, dipterocarp forests, deciduous monsoon forests and open, dry degraded areas like
mixed savannah forests at elevations from 200 - 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of tropical monsoon climates, where it grows at an elevation up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas with a mean annual precipitation of 1,250 - 2,000mm, with a well pronounced wet season and a dry season of up to 6 months. However, it can also grow with less than 1,250mm[].
Requires a sunny position[]. It grows well on well-drained sandy soils, rocky soils, lateritic soils, including ferric acrisols, gleyic acrisols, and ferralic cambisols. Unlike the majority of dipterocarps, it can survive even on very poor
soils and rocky areas[]. An acid to neutral pH is suitable[]. In Cambodia it is often found on gray soil on shale[].
The plant is adapted to growing in areas where fires are common in the dry season[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A resin obtained from the tree is antibiotic. It is used in the treatment of wounds, ulcers etc[, ]. It is also recommended as a cure for dysentery[].

The bark is used to treat malaria[].

Other Uses

The bark has a high tannin content[].

A yellowish resin exudes from the bark. It is used for caulking baskets and boats and to make a traditional torch[, ].

The heartwood is brown, turning to dark brown or dark reddish brown, often with fine dark lines; the narrow band of sapwood is pale yellow to pale brownish-white. Texture is medium, the grain interlocked and lustre is dull. The wood is heavy, very hard and durable, especially in the open and in contact with water. Sawing is reported to be rather difficult, mostly due to the high resin content; the wood works quite smooth; it is slightly susceptible to surface cracking and end splitting. However, untreated sleepers have lasted for 15 years[]. The wood is used for construction works, bridges, piles, ship-building, framing of boats, utility and garden furniture, interior uses such as parquet flooring, heavy-duty flooring, window- and door frames. It is also very valuable for railway sleepers[].

Propagation

Seed. The viability of freshly collected seeds is low and after screening out those attacked by insects and clipping the wings, they are sown right away into shaded nursery beds. Survival percentage has been reported to be 65 - 75%[].

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