Common Name:

General Information

Anisoptera scaphula is a very tall, evergreen tree with a relatively small crown; it can grow 30 - 45 metres tall. The bole, which can be 135cm in diameter, has prominent, thick, rounded, tall straight buttresses[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is traded internationally as 'mersawa' timber.
Regeneration is poor. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia.

Habitat

A canopy and emergent tree in semi-evergreen and evergreen Dipterocarp forests on undulating land and the lower parts of valleys at elevations up to 700 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	40.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the humid tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 700 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 33°c, but can tolerate 15 - 38°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 1,100 - 4,000mm[].
Young trees grow better in the dappled shade of the forest floor, but older trees require more light[]. Succeeds in most soils of at least moderate fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.5[].
Yields of timber may be between 15 - 40 m3/ha/year[]

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The pale, siliceous wood is not durable without preservatives, and blunts saws, but is an important source for veneers[]. The timber is used for general light construction such as door and window frames, weatherboards, decorative panelling, ceilings, beams and scantlings, girders, rafters, packing cases, furniture etc[].
The wood is a source of the timber 'Mersawa'. We do not have any more specific information on this species, but the general description of mersawa is as follows:-
The heartwood is orange-yellow, darkening to golden brown with whitish resin veins present; it is not clearly demarcated from the 5 - 8cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is coarse; the grain straight or interlocked. The wood is of light to moderate weight; it can be soft to fairly hard; somewhat durable being fairly resistant to termites but susceptible to fungi and dry wood borers. It seasons slowly with only a slight risk of distortion or checking; once dry it is moderately stable to stable in service. The wood contains silica and has a high blunting effect - stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; there is a tendency to tearing on quartersawn timber; nailing and screwing are good; gluing is correct. The wood has a range of uses including flooring, boxes and crates, interior panelling and joinery, turnery, veneer[].

Propagation

Seed -

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