Pouteria firma (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Pouteria firma (Miq.) Baehni
- Protologue: Candollea 9: 284 (1942).
Synonyms
- Planchonella firma (Miq.) Dubard (1912).
Vernacular names
- Indonesia: madang kayu balam (Sumatra), marchichang (Bangka), nyato lambar (Bangka, Kalimantan)
- Philippines: bagomaho, manalipsik, topek (Panay Bisaya). Solomon Islands: maliolo.
Distribution
Throughout Malesia and on the Solomon Islands.
Uses
The timber is used as nyatoh, especially for furniture, light flooring and joinery, but also for plywood and hardboard. The bark is chewed together with betel against sprue.
Observations
- A medium-sized to fairly large tree up to 35 m tall, with straight bole, rarely exceeding 50 cm in diameter.
- Leaves evenly distributed, elliptical, narrowly elliptical, obovate or narrowly obovate, with closely transverse tertiary venation distinct beneath, initially scurfy but soon becoming glabrous on both sides.
- Flowers usually in clusters in leaf axils, borne on 3-28 mm long pedicels, white, yellow or reddish.
- Fruit ovoid, obovoid, ellipsoid or globose, 0.8-2.5 cm long, glabrous except at base, whitish to almost black.
Although P. firma is widespread, it is only locally common, e.g. in Bangka. It occurs in lowland as well as in montane forest, in Peninsular Malaysia up to 1500 m altitude, in Papua New Guinea up to 2000 m. The density of the wood is 520-750 kg/m3 at 15% moisture content. The wood is easy to saw and works well.
Selected sources
36, 100, 102, 318, 359, 480, 486, 581, 732, 779.
Main genus page
Authors
- R.H.M.J. Lemmens (selection of species)