Common Name:

General Information

Litsea fulva is a small, evergreen tree. The bole can be free of branches for up to 5 metres and up to 15cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is used locally and is also probably traded as 'medang' timber.
Litsea fulva has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia -Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Dense, primary forests at low to medium elevations, sometimes ascending to 900 metres[]. Found in well-drained soils in shrubby areas bordering grassy glens[]..

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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 pale golden-yellow wood is rather fine textured. It is very similar to baticulin (Litsea obtusata), and would certainly be accepted by sculptors to be used like that species for carving and sculpture, especially of sacred images[]. It is also used for interior finishing, partitioning, furniture, cabinet work, boards, packing cases, poles, beams, posts, planks and tool handles[]
There are a number of tree species (including this one) from southeast Asia 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 any more specific information 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 soft to moderately hard, not very 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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