Palaquium mindanaense
Merr.
Sapotaceae
Common Name: Nato
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 Status | Critically Endangered |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 0.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
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.
,
]. 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 -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
