Common Name:

General Information

Shorea palembanica is usually a small to medium-sized tree, though occasionally it can grow quite large, reaching up to 45 metres tall. The dense crown is irregularly oblong to hemispherical. The bole is often leaning or mis-shapen, it can be up to 130cm in diameter with stout buttresses[, ].
The seeds are commonly gathered from the wild as a source of local food. The tree is a source of timber known as 'dark red meranti'. It is harvested from the wild for commercial use[].
The tree is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2010)[]. It is protected under Sarawak's Wildlife Protection Bill (1990) as a major source of illipe nuts[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia.

Habitat

A canopy tree, growing on river banks, silty floodplains, freshwater swamps and rarely low moist hillsides[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of lowland areas in the moist tropics[].

Edible Uses

The seeds are a source of 'Borneo Tallow', a hard, brittle and solid fat that resembles cacao butter (obtained from Theobroma cacao) and can be used as a substitute for it[].

Medicinal

An edible fat obtained from the seed is easily absorbed by the skin. It can be used to treat skin problems and is often used as a carrier to apply other substances to the skin[].

Other Uses

The seeds of many species in this genus, including this species, yield an oil that has an unusually high melting point and is solid at room temperature[, , , ]. Average yields range from 45 - 70% according to species[]. The fat is somewhat similar to Cacao butter (obtained from Theobroma spp.) and can be used in a variety of ways, often combined with cacao butter. In addition to it being edible, it has medicinal uses and can be used in making soap, candles, polishes and cosmetics[, ]. The ovoid seeds are up to 35mm long and 25mm wide[].

The heartwood is dark pink-brown to a dark-red, weathering to a dark red-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the sapwood, which is yellowish with a grey tinge. The texture is coarse and even; the grain is interlocked and sometimes wavy; white-coloured resin canals may be seen on the surface; planed surfaces are lustrous witha prominent stripe figure. The wood is not durable when exposed to the elements. It is easy to saw, plane, turn, bore and peel; it produces a smooth planed surface. An extremely popular general utility timber, it is suitable for furniture, high class interior finishing, flooring, panelling and partitioning, mouldings and skirtings, fancy doors, sliced and rotary cut veneers[].

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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