Common Name:

General Information

Litsea philippinensis is an evergreen tree that can grow 15 - 29 metres tall. The bole can be up to 50cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is mainly used locally and is a popular wood for carving and maing religious icons as well as being a source of 'medang' timber. The tree is sometimes also grown in plantations as a timber crop[].
Although Litsea philippinensis has a relatively large range, it is only found in 20 locations and is threatened by the effects of shifting agriculture, commodity-driven deforestation, urbanization, and large-scale forestry operations. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Philippines.

Habitat

Lowland to submontane forests; at elevations from 300 - 1,200 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	17.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, 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[].
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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