Common Name:

General Information

Payena lucida is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 40 metres tall. The buttressed bole can reach around 90cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and for its useful wood, which can be traded under the name 'Nyatoh'[].
Payena lucida has a large range and some of the distribution encompasses protected areas. There is however a great suspected population decline and a projected continuing decline in the extent and quality of habitat, and the species is known to be harvested and traded as timber. By 2016 over 19% of the tree cover within the EOO had been
lost, in comparison to 2000, giving the suspected population decline. The tree cover loss and population decline would most likely be much greater if calculated over three generation length (60-150 years) bringing it closer to the lower limit of Vulnerable. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Bangladesh, Myanmar, India (Andaman Islands), Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan)

Habitat

Lowland forest, evergreen forest and edges of deciduous forest, sometimes in sheltered gullies and limestone hills; at elevations up to 550 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. The ovoid fruit is a dryish berry 11 - 20mm x 15 - 37mm with a thin, fleshy pericarp and a single, large seed[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the roots is traditionally given to women after childbirth[].

Other Uses

Wood[].
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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