Common Name: Medang Telor

General Information

Litsea curtisii is an evergreen tree that can grow around 7 - 42 metres tall. The bole can be around 30 - 80cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is used locally and is also traded both locally and nationally as 'medang' timber[, ].
Litsea curtisii is known from only four localities and no new collections have been made since 1934. There are threats of deforestation and habitat destruction to the known locations[]. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Peninsular Malaysia.

Habitat

A canopy tree in dense, primary lowland and hill forest, at elevations around 360 - 480 metres[, , ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	35.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The inner bark has an aromatic smell[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The sapwood is greenish white[].

There are a number of tree species (including this one) from Peninsular Malaysia that are in the family Lauraceae and produce a useful timber that is either not distinct enough in itself, or is in insufficient supply, to warrant being traded individually. These various species have been lumped together under the trade name ‘medang’[].
We do not have a specific description of the wood from this species, but a general description of medang timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is very variable, from light-straw to red-brown and olive brown; the sapwood is ill-defined. The texture is moderately fine but even; the grain interlocked or wavy; the surface dull. The wood is not durable. It is easy to slightly difficult to resaw, and easy to moderately easy to cross-cut; easy to plane and the surface produced is smooth to moderately smooth. It is suitable for decorative work such as interior finishing, panelling, furniture and cabinet making. It is also suitable for plywood manufacture, whilst the heavier species are suitable for medium construction under cover[]

Propagation

Seed -

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