Common Name:

General Information

Dysoxylum mollissimum is an evergreen tree with an irregular crown of branches with terminal rosettes of leaves; it usually grows up to 34 metres tall, though trees up to 60 metres have been recorded in the past. The cylindrical bole is up to 150cm in diameter with buttresses up to 2 metres tall, and can be unbranched for up to 25 metres[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. The wood, especially of the subspecies molle is also traded as a good quality cabinet wood[].
This species was formerly one of the biggest trees in Java, but was harvested to extinction in the west of the island[].

Known Hazards

The sawdust from this species is reported to cause allergic reactions in mill workers[].
The leaves of this species are thought to have caused the death of a cow and has caused problems with goats[].

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - S. China, E. India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, eastern Australia, southwest Pacific Islands.

Habitat

A sub-canopy to canopy tree in subtropical, tropical and littoral rainforests[, ]. Well developed rain forest on a variety of sites, but more common in lowland and upland rain forests; at elevations up to 800 metres in Australia[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in tropical and subtropical climates.

We have no specific information for this species, but most members of the genus are dioecious, in which case both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The fruits are used in the treatment of wounds[].

Other Uses

This species may have insect growth regulating substances in the seeds[].

The heartwood us a rich deep red; it is clearly demarcated from the pale brown heartwood. The sapwood often has a strong smell of garlic, onions, potatoes or turnips. The wood is hard and close-grained, but not very durable. It is easily worked[, , ]. It is used for cabinet work[]. The timber is well suited to be used in polished floors and boat decking[]. The wood is suitable for medium to heavy construction work, planking, flooring, panelling, and for manufacturing high grade furniture, wood pallets, veneer and plywood[]. Freshly cut wood has an odour that resembles Red Cedar (Toona ciliata), onions, shallots or turnips[].

We have no more specific information on the wood of this species, but it is one of a group of species that are the source of a commercial timber known in the trade as 'jarum-jarum'. The general description of jarum-jarum is as follows:-
The heartwood is orange-red to brick red when fresh,darkening on exposure; it is clearly demarcated from the yellow sapwood. The texture is moderately coarse but uneven due to the abundant of parenchyma; the grain is straight, interlocked, wavy or irregular; there is a watersilk marking on flat-sawn surfaces due to the parenchyma bands. The wood is moderately hard to hard. It is used for purposes such as flooring, furniture, wall panelling, solid door construction, veneer and plywood[].

Propagation

Seed -

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