Palaquium calophyllum
(Teijsm. & Binn.) Pierre ex Burck
Sapotaceae
Croixia calophylla (Teijsm. & Binn.) Baehni
Dichopsis calophylla (Teijsm. & Binn.) Benth. & Hook.f.
Isonandra calophylla Teijsm. & Binn.
Common Name:
General Information
Palaquium calophyllum is an evergreen tree that can grow 20 metres or more tall. The bole is straight and cylindrical[
899- Title
- Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Soepadmo E.; Saw L.G.; Chung R.C.K. (Editors)
- Publisher
- Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 983-2181-27-5
- Description
- A flora of the woody plants of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, often giving details of plant uses.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its gum, which is used locally.
Palaquium calophyllum has a wide range and is found in many localities. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
899- Title
- Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Soepadmo E.; Saw L.G.; Chung R.C.K. (Editors)
- Publisher
- Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 983-2181-27-5
- Description
- A flora of the woody plants of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, often giving details of plant uses.
Range
Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines to New Guinea.
Habitat
Mixed dipterocarp forest, alluvial forest and keranga forest, at elevations up to 800 metres[
899- Title
- Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Soepadmo E.; Saw L.G.; Chung R.C.K. (Editors)
- Publisher
- Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 983-2181-27-5
- Description
- A flora of the woody plants of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, often giving details of plant uses.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 20.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
A latex that exudes from the bark is chewed as a gum[
901- Title
- Plants Producing Exudates
- Publication
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 18
- Author
- Boer E. & Ella A.B.
- Publisher
- Backhuys Publishers; Leiden, the Netherlands
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 90-5782-072-2
- Description
- Information on more than 50 species of plants from southeast Asia that produce latexes and other exudations.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
A latex obtained from the trunk is a source of gutta percha[
901- Title
- Plants Producing Exudates
- Publication
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 18
- Author
- Boer E. & Ella A.B.
- Publisher
- Backhuys Publishers; Leiden, the Netherlands
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 90-5782-072-2
- Description
- Information on more than 50 species of plants from southeast Asia that produce latexes and other exudations.
].
Gutta-percha is a natural latex obtained from the sap of the tree. Allowing this fluid to evaporate and coagulate in the sun produces a hard, durable, non-brittle but non-elastic latex which can be made flexible again when heated to temperatures over 50°c, and then retains any form given while cooling. Prior to the advent of synthetic materials, gutta-percha had a wide range of uses - most particularly as an insulating material for electricity wiring and for underwater telegraph wires, a purpose for which it is very well suited since it is bio-inert and so is not attacked by marine plants or animals. Gutta-percha can be moulded into any shape and has been used to make items such as ornate furniture, pistol grips, acid-resistant receptacles and ‘mourning’ jewellery, where its dark colour was an advantage. It has been widely used as the core of golf balls and is still used in modern dentistry where its bio-inertness makes it ideal as a temporary filling for teeth and as a filling material inside tooth fillings[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
]. It is used locally for fixing tools into their handles[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Propagation
Seed -
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
