Common Name: Malaboho

General Information

Sterculia oblongata is a tree growing up to 12 metres tall. The bole can be 70cm in diameter[, ]. The tree can be up to 50 metres tall, with bole up to 150cm in diameter, and with small to large buttresses that can be up to 6 metres high and 2 metres wide[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use of its wood, fibre and edible seed.
Sterculia oblongata has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Secondary forests and open primary forests at low and medium elevations[]. Widely distributed at low elevations in the Philippines[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or roasted[, ]. The seeds are about 15mm long[].

The root is said to be edible[]. This is likely to be the root of young plants[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Fibres obtained from the bark are used to make rope[, ]. The fibres are used for the manufacture of elegant hats, handbags, place-mats and wallets[]. Most of the strips of bast are salmon-buff in colour, some are tawny and others a light salmon orange. Rope made from this fibre is of medium strength. It has a tensile strength of 398 kilos per square centimetre. Wetting decreased the strength 27%. However, local people prefer to use the rope during the rainy season[].

The wood is suitable for light cabinet work and for matches[, ]. The wood is used for house construction, particularly for sides, ceilings and partitions, and is also suitable for pulp and paper manufacture[].
We have no further specific description for the wood of this species, but the following is a general description of the wood of Sterculia species in the Phillipines:-
The fresh wood is creamy white or very light gray or brown, but almost invariably staining to a silvery gray or a light brown; the sapwood is scarcely if at all distinguishable from the heartwood. The texture is coarse, spongy; the grain straight. The wood is soft to very soft; light to very light in weight; The durability is very poor; the wood being frequently attacked by beetles, though the heartwood, if seasoned rapidly and thoroughly, is somewhat better than the sapwood. Except for staining, the wood seasons well; it is very easy to work. Of low quality, it is used for cheap and temporary construction, box lumber, etc.; temporary mining timbers. It has been recommended for trial as match wood[].

Propagation

A physical dormancy caused by the hard seed coat of the mature seeds of many species in this genus can be overcome by scarifying the seed. This is carried out by cutting away or abrading some of the seed coat to allow the ingress of water, though great care must be taken not to damage the embryo[]. The aril surrounding the seed should also be removed - this is easiest when it has been softened through soaking in water[]. The seeds germinate optimally at temperatures between 20 - 30°c. They can be sown in a nursery seedbed or in containers. A germination rate of about 95%, occurring within about 2 weeks can be expected if the seed has been properly treated[].

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