Common Name: Brown Terminalia

General Information

Brown terminalia is an evergreen tree with a large, domed crown; it can grow up to 50 metres tall[, ]. The straight, cylindrical bole, has huge flange buttresses, often with stilt roots forming mats up to 6 metres up the trunk; it is usually up to 150cm in diameter (exceptionally to 250cm) and can be free of branches for up to 30 metres, though it sometimes branches from near the base[, , ].
The tree is a major source of timber in its native range and is often exported[]. It can be difficult to extract from its swampy habitat[]. It is cultivated on a small scale in plantations[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australasia - New Guinea, through the Bismarck Archipelago to the Solomon Islands.

Habitat

A pioneer species and canopy tree, usually found gregariously in freshwater swamps or along rivers on sandy or even gravelly soils, occasionally scattered in drier areas[, ]. Occasional in drier areas, where it is often unbuttressed[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	40.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of wet, lowland tropical areas, where it is found at elevations up to 600 metres[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime annual temperatures are within the range 28 - 34°c, though it can tolerate 20 - 38°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 3,000 - 4,000mm, but tolerates 2,000 - 5,000mm[].
Requires a sunny position, though young trees are more tolerant of shade[]. Grows best in a deep, medium to heavy soil[]. Tolerates wet soils and anaerobic soil conditions[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 4.5 - 5.5, but tolerates 4 - 6.5[].
Seedlings can withstand violent flooding and often establish themselves beside rivers that can overflow their banks[, ].
The rotation applied for pulpwood production in the Solomon Islands is 10 - 11 years and for sawlog production it is estimated at 20 years[].
Young trees often send out stiff, horizontal adventitious roots high above the ground[].
The bark comes off in long, loose strips so that the general appearance is reminiscent of some species of Eucalyptus or Tristania[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

A pioneer species, brown terminalia is potentially a suitable plantation species and may also be used to reforest lowland swampy areas[, ].

Other Uses

The sapwood is pale brownish-yellow, porous, straight-grained, somewhat stringy and of medium weight[]. The wood is used for light construction, mouldings, interior finish and veneer[, ]. A good-quality pulp, suitable for paper making, can be produced from plantation material[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in containers since transplanting from a nursery bed is not very successful[]. It is a pioneer species, requiring plenty of light at the time of establishment[].
Dried seed, with a moisture content of 5%, can be stored for a prolonged period at temperatures under -20°c[].
Cuttings[].
Grafting[].

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