Cryptocarya alleniana (PROSEA)
Introduction |
Cryptocarya alleniana C.T. White
- Protologue: Journ. Arn. Arb. 31: 82 (1950).
Vernacular names
- Allen's laurel (En)
- Papua New Guinea: cryptocarya (general).
Distribution
New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Uses
C. alleniana is an important source of medang in Papua New Guinea. The wood is used for e.g. light framing, domestic flooring, turnery and boxes.
Observations
A medium-sized to fairly large tree up to 42 m tall, bole slightly flared at base, bark surface shed in stripes, leaving a surface that is pustular or with fine longitudinal fissures, pale grey to brown, sapwood white, heartwood very pale pinkish-yellow; leaves 8-13 cm × 4-7 cm, apex acute to acuminate, with 7-9 pairs of secondary veins, minutely tomentose below; inflorescence up to 10 cm long, the axis densely pubescent; perianth with 1.5 mm long lobes, pedicel 3 mm long; fruit ellipsoid, 2 cm across. C. alleniana is locally common in lowland rain forest, riverine or swamp forest, up to 750 m altitude. The density of the wood is about 420 kg/m3at 12% moisture content. See also the table on wood properties.
Selected sources
145, 166, 297, 318, 696.