Common Name:

General Information

Castanopsis psilophylla is an evergreen tree that can grow around 10 - 27 metres tall. The bole can be 20 - 50cm in diameter with buttresses up to 200cm tall and 75cm out[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a source of materials. 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), Philippines

Habitat

Primary and secondary hill mixed dipterocarp forests, growing on sandy or basaltic soils; at elevations up to 1,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 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[]. The asymmetrical, ovoid seed is 15 - 20mm wide with a thin shell; only one of the 3 - 5 seeds in the cupule develops fully[].

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 or whitish[].
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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