Common Name:

General Information

Payena acuminata is a tree that can grow up to 42 metres tall. The buttressed bole can be up to 92cm in diameter[, , ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. The wood is also traded commercially under the name 'Nyatoh'[].
Payena acuminata has a large range and is sometimes found growing in protected areas. It is, however, harvested for timber and there are threats to the forests within the species range. During a 15 year period there has been a tree cover loss of more than 14% within this species range and due to this a suspected population decline. The plant needs monitoring, but is currently classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southeast Asia - Peninsula Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia

Habitat

Slopes or ridges in dipterocarp forest and at times on limestone; in both lowland and mountainous areas; at elevations up to 400 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Species in this genus will generally grow in a variety of soils.

Edible Uses

Fruit[, ]. The long ovoid to obovate, greenish fruit is a dryish berry 29 - 36mm x 12 - 18mm with a fleshy pericarp and 1 - 2 large seeds[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Laxex - used to make gutta percha[].
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 electrical 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[, , ]. It is used locally for fixing tools into their handles[].

Wood[]. The sapwood is pale yellow to white[].
We do not have any more specific information on the wood of this species, but it belongs to a group of timbers collectively called 'Nyatoh'[]. The general description of nyatoh wood is as follows:-
The heartwood is a dark pink to a red-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the 4 - 9cm wide band of lighter-coloured sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or interlocked, sometimes wavy. The wood is light in weight, soft to moderately hard; strong, somewhat durable, being resistant to dry wood borers, moderately resistant to fungi but susceptible to termites. It seasons somewhat slowly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is stable in service. There is a very variable content of silica according to the species, but in general the wood has a high blunting effect so stellite-tipped and tungsten-carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct. The wood has a range of applications, including for high class furniture and cabinet making, solid doors, panelling, joinery, parquet flooring, boat decking, light carpentry, turnery, moulding and veneer[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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