Common Name:

General Information

Gonystylus keithii is a shrub or a tree; it can range in size from 4.5 - 26 metres tall. The straight bole is unbuttressed and can be 15 - 90cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild as a source of 'ramin' timber, which is used locally and also exported[].
The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(1998)[].

Known Hazards

The pounded fruit is mixed with wood ashes and used as a fish poison[, ].

Botanical References

,

Range

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

Habitat

Evergreen rainforests, growing in areas not subject to seasonal inundation, mostly on sandy soils; at elevations up to 410 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	18.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Found in the wild mainly on sandy soils[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant has medicinal uses[]. No further information.

Other Uses

A source of ramin timber[]. We do not have any more detailed information for this species, but the general description of ramin timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is a creamy white to light yellow; it is not demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is fine; the grain straight or interlocked; the unseasoned wood has an unpleasant aroma. The wood is moderately heavy; moderately hard; not durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons somewhat slowly, with a high risk of checking but only a slight risk of distortion; once dry it is moderately to poorly stable in service. The wood can be workd with ordinary tools, though there is a risk of splinters in cross cutting; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct. The wood has a wide range of uses including for cabinet making, high class furniture, flooring, turnery, joinery and veneer[].
Ramin timber is a whitish, light-weight wood that is highly prized and popular as a decorative cabinet wood. The timber is also widely used in the manufacture of furniture and various items of interior decoration such as wall-panelling, light flooring, turnery, venetian blind slats, picture frames, drawing boards, and a few others. In construction industry, the timber is commonly used for making planks, door and window frames, mouldings, skirtings, ceilings, partitionings, and others. Ramin timber is also highly suitable for veneer, plywood, block-board, and particle-board manufacture[].

Propagation

Seed -

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