Common Name:

General Information

Payena obscura is a tree growing up to 40 metres tall. The buttressed bole can reach around 90cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild as a source of gutta-percha and its timber is traded under the name 'nyatoh'[]..
Payena obscura has a relatively large range and some individuals can be found in protected areas. However, the quality of habitat is projected to be declining causing a suspected population decline. Almost 21% of the tree cover within its range was lost in the period from 2000 - 2016. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan).

Habitat

Lowland to lower montane mixed dipterocarp and kerangas forest, growing on sandy-clay soils; at elevations up to 900 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

Edible Uses

The green, pear-shaped fruit is a dryish berry 20 - 40mm x 10 - 23mm with a fleshy pericarp and a single, large seed[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A gutta-percha of fairly good quality is obtained from the tree[, ].
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 and durable latex which can be made flexible again with hot water, but which does not become brittle. 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[, ].

Wood[]. The sapwood is 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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