Common Name:

General Information

Castanopsis hypophoenicea is an evergreen tree growing 12 - 30 metres tall. The bole can be 10 - 60cm in diameter with buttresses up to 1.8 metres tall and 1 metre out from the trunk[].
The edible seed is harvested from the wild for local use. This is one of many timber-bearing species in the genus Castanopsis that is harvested from the wild on a commercial basis and traded under the name Berangan[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak), Indonesia (Kalimantan).

Habitat

A mid canopy tree in undisturbed to slightly disturbed mixed dipterocarp and sub-montane forests at elevations up to 1,300 metres[, ]. Found mostly on hillsides and ridges, but also along rivers; usually on sandy soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Castanopsis species are generally tolerant of a range of soils, preferably well-drained[]. They succeed in full sun, though young plants generally grow best in dappled woodland shade.
The tree does not respond well to coppicing[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[, ]. It can be roasted in the same way as chestnuts (Castanea spp.). The ovoid to ellipsoid seed can be 40 - 60mm long and 30 50mm wide 5cm with a thick, woody shell - one seed is produced in each cupule[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The bark is a source of tannins and can be used as a dye, to weatherproof fibres etc[].

The branches and stems of many Castanopsis species are used as bed logs in mushroom cultivation[].

The sapwood is yellowish-white[].
The heartwood is dark brown or dark red-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the light brown sapwood which often has a green tinge. The texture is coarse and uneven; the grain fairly straight but sometimes interlocked, maybe lustrous when first cut; there is no distinctive odour or taste when dry. The wood is strong, moderately hard, moderately heavy to heavy, moderately durable and very difficult to treat. It seasons fairly slowly, without any defects except for some staining; shrinkage is very high. It is easy to work, easy to split, moderately easy to resaw and easy to cross-cut; planning is easy and the planed surface is smooth, it takes a good finish. A light hardwood, it is suitable for medium to heavy construction under cover, furniture making, packing cases and pallets. Some species split well and are used for shingles[, ].
The wood is a good fuel and can be used to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - easy to germinate if sown fresh. Self-sown seedlings can be transplanted[].

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