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Useful Tropical Plants

Palaquium mindanaense

Merr.

Sapotaceae

+ Synonyms

Common Name: Nato

No Image.

General Information

Palaquium mindanaense is an evergreen tree. The bole is straight and cylindrical.
The tree is harvested from the wild for its wood, which is used locally and also traded[
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.
]. It was at one time harvested commercially as an important source of the latex 'gutta percha'[
903
Title
The Gutta Percha and Rubber of the Philippines Islands
Publication
Department of Interior; Bureau of Government Laboratories, Philippines.
Author
Sherman P.L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Bureau of Public Printing; Malila, Philippines
Year
1903
ISBN
 
Description
Written at the beginning of the 20th century, before the advent of synthetic rubbers, this is a review of the known rubber-producing plants being utilized in the Philippines. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Palaquium mindanaense has a small range and the population is considered to be severely fragmented. Information of this species is very limited and the locality information general. Research and monitoring is needed to understand its conservation needs. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[
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


Range

Southeast Asia - Philippines (Mindanao).

Habitat

Lowland primary rain forests[
465
Title
An Enumeration of Philippine Flowering Plants
Publication
 
Author
Merrill E.D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Bureau of Science, Manila.
Year
1925
ISBN
 
Description
Mainly a list of plant names, plus some synonyms, giving details of where the name was published. Also gives a note on the range of the plant, its habitat and local names. Unfortunately, it does not even give a brief description of the plant.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusCritically Endangered
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height0.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The tree is a source of gutta percha[
903
Title
The Gutta Percha and Rubber of the Philippines Islands
Publication
Department of Interior; Bureau of Government Laboratories, Philippines.
Author
Sherman P.L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Bureau of Public Printing; Malila, Philippines
Year
1903
ISBN
 
Description
Written at the beginning of the 20th century, before the advent of synthetic rubbers, this is a review of the known rubber-producing plants being utilized in the Philippines. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
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.
,
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. 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.
].

The timber is used commercially[
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.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Palaquium+mindanaense>

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