Common Name:

General Information

Shorea superba is a very large tree with a vast, diffuse, cauliflower-shaped crown; it can grow up to 75 metres tall. The tall, straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 310cm in diameter with stout buttresses up to 4 metres high[, ].
The tree is a main source of the timber 'Red Balau', it is commonly harvested from the wild and traded internationally.
Logging poses a severe threat to this species because the trees are slow-growing and unable to reach reproductive maturity between cutting cycles. 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 (endemic to the island of Borneo).

Habitat

A canopy to emergent tree, growing on fertile clay soils in mixed dipterocarp forests at elevations up to 600 metres[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The wood is a source of the timber 'Red Balau'[]. We do not have a specific description for the wood of this species, but the general description of red balau is as follows:-
The heartwood is light to dark red-brown, or purplish red-brown to grey-brown; it is clearly demarcated from the 3 - 8cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain interlocked. The wood is heavy, hard, moderately durable, being resistant to dry wood borers and moderately resistant to fungi and termites. The wood seasons slowly with a high risk of distortion and checking; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It has a fairly high blunting effect upon tools, power-driven stellite-tipped and tungsten carbite tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but pre-boring is necessary to avoid splitting; gluing is correct for interior purposes[]. The wood has a variety of uses including light construction, flooring, exterior joinery, musical instruments, boxes and crates 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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