Common Name:

General Information

Shorea lamellata is a tree with a dense, hemispherical crown; it can grow up to 56 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 175cm in diameter with stout buttresses up to 3 metres high[, ].
The tree is a source of the timber 'White Meranti'. It is commonly harvested from the wild and traded internationally.
The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia.

Habitat

An emergent tree in undisturbed mixed dipterocarp forests at elevations up to about 500 metres. Found on alluvial as well as dry sites (hillside and ridges) on sandy to clayey soils, also on limestone[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	45.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Found in the wild in a range of conditions, from alluvial as well as dry sites (hillside and ridges) in both sandy to clayey soils, and also on limestone[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The trunk contains a clear dammar resin[, ].
Dammar is a hard resin, obtained from various trees of Southeast Asia. Traditionally, it is used for purposes such as caulking boats and baskets, as an adhesive, a medicine, as a fuel for torches and sometimes in foods. Dammar has many commercial applications, though many of these uses are less important nowadays due to the advent of synthetic materials. Commercially, it is an ingredient of inks, lacquers, oil paints, varnishes etc, and is used as a glazing agent in foods[].
Harvesting of the resin commences when the bole is around 25cm in diameter (approx 20 years old). Triangular cuts (becoming circular with age) are arranged in vertical rows around the trunk. The cuts are several centimetres wide at first, but become enlarged at every tapping and eventually become holes of 15 - 20cm in depth and width. The average number of holes for a tree about 30 metres tall and 60 - 80cm in diameter is 9 - 11 in each of 4 - 5 vertical rows. For the higher holes, the tapper climbs the tree supported by a rattan belt and using the lower holes as footholds.
The exuded resin is allowed to dry on the tree before it is collected. The frequency with which the tree is visited to refreshen the cut varies from once a week to once a month, depending on how far the tree is from the village. Tapping can continue for 30 years[].

The wood is used[]. The tree is a source of 'White Meranti' timber. We do not have a specific description for this species, but the general description of white meranti is as follows:-

The heartwood is creamy white, becoming yellow-brown with age; it is not clearly demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight or interlocked with a ribbon-like aspect on quartersawn wood. The wood is of medium weight, moderately hard, moderately durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. The drying rate is normal to rapid with a slight risk of distortion; once dry it is stable in service. The wood has a high silica content and is hard to work, requiring stellite-tipped and tungsten-carbide tools; there is a tendency to woolliness, and filling is required to obtain a good finish; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct[]. The wood is used for purposes such as light constructions, plywood and veneer, as door and window frames, and for posts, beams, joists, rafters, planking, light flooring, ceiling, furniture, boat building etc[].

Propagation

We have no specific information for this species - the information below is a general guide for the genus.

Seed - best sown as soon as possible. It does not require pre-treatment, but it is recommended to soak the seed for 12 hours prior to sowing[]. The seeds are sown in seedbeds, where they are covered with a mixture of sand and soil (1:1) or with a thin layer of sawdust[]. Germination of fresh seeds is usually good and rapid. About two weeks after germination, when the seedlings are 5 - 6cm tall, they are potted up into individual containers about 15 x 23cm with good drainage holes at their base[]. It is normally recommended to use a mixture of forest soil and sand (at a ratio of 3:1) as the potting medium in order to introduce the appropriate mycorrhiza to the roots. The seedlings are placed in 50 - 60% sunlight and watered twice daily[].
Seedlings can be planted out when 30 - 40cm tall - harden the seedlings off in full sunlight for one month prior to planting[].

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