Vateria indica
L.
Dipterocarpaceae
Common Name: White Dammar
General Information
White dammar is a large, evergreen tree generally growing up to 40 metres tall, but with some specimens reaching 60 metres.
A multipurpose tree that is much used locally in India. It yields a resin of considerable value, which is known as White Dammar or Piney, and is often exported[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
]. It also supplies food, medicine and a range of other commodities. A very handsome tree, it is often planted along avenues[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
,
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
A slow-growing species, with few healthy populations remaining. It has been overexploited for its timber, particularly for the plywood industry, whilst loss of habitat and other human activities have also contributed to population declines. Regeneration is said to be good where allowed. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
E. Asia - India.
Habitat
Found primarily as a canopy or emergent tree in the west coastal evergreen forests of India, it is also occasionally found in secondary evergreen dipterocarp forest in the south[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. Found at elevations up to 1,200 metres[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
Properties
Conservation Status | Critically Endangered |
Edibility Rating |    |
Medicinal Rating |   |
Other Uses Rating |     |
Habit | Evergreen Tree |
Height | 40.00 m |
Growth Rate | Slow |
Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A tree of low to moderate elevations in the moist, monsoonal tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,200 metres[
]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 24 - 33°c, but can tolerate 17 - 38°c[
]. It can be killed by temperatures below 14°c[
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 2,500 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 2,000 - 3,500mm[
].
Succeeds in full sun and also, especially when young, in fairly dense shade[
]. Prefers a light, fairly fertile, well-drained soil[
]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.9[
].
Edible Uses
The seeds contain up to 50% of a solid oil known as 'piney tallow'[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
,
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
]. This can be used for flavouring food and as a substitute or adulterant for ghee[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
The bark is used to control fermentation in when making alcoholic beverages such as arrack and toddy[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
Medicinal
The resin obtained from the tree has the same uses as pine resin[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
An oil obtained from the seeds is valued locally as an external application to relieve rheumatism[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
The bark is astringent[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
Other Uses
A resin is obtained from the tree by incising the trunk[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is only slightly soluble in alcohol, but dissolves at once in turpentine and drying oils[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
]. Like copal, it is chiefly used for making varnishes[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
]. The resin can be mixed with coconut oil and rolled into candles (which burn with a dark, heavy smoke), and it is also used for making imitation amber beads[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
,
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
The resin is said to occur in three forms compact piney, cellular piney and dark-coloured piney resin. The names sufficiently indicate their respective characters, which are said to be due to the mode of collection and the age of the tree
The seeds contain a large quantity of a solid oil known as 'piney tallow'[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
]. This can be used as a fuel for lamps and has been used to make candles[
371- Title
- Oil Yielding Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://mnes.nic.in/list/oil-plants.pdf
- Publisher
- Botanical Survey of India.
- Year
- 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A PDF downloaded from the Internet. Very terse details about the applications of oil obtained from over 300 species of plants.
,
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
]. The candles burn well, but are too soft[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
].
The fruit contains 25% tannins[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
The bark contains tannins[
438- Title
- Ferns and Man in New Guinea
- Publication
-
- Author
- Croft. J.
- Website
- http://www.anbg.gov.au/fern/ferns-man-ng.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1982
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Based on a paper presented to Papua New Guinea Botany Society in 1982, gives a brief guide to the uses of 42 species of fern in New Guinea. Published on the internet.
].
The heartwood is light gray, the sapwood white with a tinge of red or grey[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
]. The wood is tough and hard. It is not in much request, but is sometimes utilised locally for making canoes, the masts of native vessels and coffins[
439- Title
- The Commercial Products of India.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Watts. Sir George.
- Publisher
- John Murray, London.
- Year
- 1908
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A classic, with a comprehensive (as then known) listing of useful plants that were traded commercially at that time. It can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.
].
Propagation
Seed -
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