Common Name:

General Information

Endospermum diadenum is a mid-canopy tree with a diffused, dome-shaped crown; it can grow up to 36 metres tall. The stout, cylindrical bole can be unbranched for up to 25 metres and 60 - 150cm in diameter; it is sometimes thickly buttressed, the buttresses being up to 2 metres tall.[, , ].
The tree is a commercial source of the timber 'sesendok', and is commonly harvested from the wild both for local use and for trade[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

In disturbed habitats (often along roadsides in logged forests, but also in scrub and burned forests) and open places of undisturbed mixed dipterocarp, freshwater swamp and keranga forests at elevations up to 900 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	30.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A tree of the tropical lowlands, found at elevations up to 1,000 metres[].
Grows best in a sunny position[]. Found in the wild on granitic sand, sandy soil, sandy loam, sandy clay, yellow and red clay soil and ultramafic soil[].
A fast-growing species[]. A mean annual increment of 25mm in bole diameter can be attained in young trees[].
Usually, the tree flowers every year, and in Malaysia it often even flowers twice a year. Mature fruits are present 2 - 3 months after flowering. Trees three years old may already produce viable seeds[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required - female trees have been found to have on average a thicker bark than male trees[]..

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is used to cure dropsy[].

The roots are applied to injuries[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A natural pioneer species that regenerates freely in open and disturbed habitats and is fast-growing. It can be used in reforestation schemes to restore native woodland and to establish woodland gardens[, ].[, ].
The tree is grown in plantations and as a shade tree. In agroforestry it has been interplanted with rubber in an alley cropping system. After 25 years, both the rubber and this species are harvested together. The tree may also be interplanted with short term crops, though only for the first three years before the canopy closes above[].

Other Uses

The heartwood is creamy white to bright yellow; it is not demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is coarse; the grain straight or interlocked, sometimes wavy; the surface lustrous. The wood is very soft; very light in weight; not durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons quickly, with only a slight risk of checking or distortion; once dry it is stable in service. The wood works well with ordinary tools, though the presence of tension wood can cause overheating and blunting of sawblades; there is a risk of woolly surfaces so tools need to be kept sharp; nailing and screwing are poor; gluing is correct. It is an important source of the timber sesendok and is one of the favourite timbers for clogs, pattern making, trays, furniture parts, plywood chests, low grade coffins, disposable chop-sticks and other small articles; and is also used for matchboxes, match splints, drawing boards, black boards and toys[, , , ].

Propagation

Seed -
Seed of E. diadenum are often heavily predated by insects, making it difficult to obtain viable seeds. In Malaysia it is suggested to used wildlings for planting because seed is scarce. Transplanted wildlings suffer high mortality unless care is taken to minimize root damage, but with appropriate care the survival rate may be as high as 70%. The survival rate of young trees of E. diadenum after 2 years is 70-90%[].

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