Pouteria torricellensis (PROSEA)

File:Logo PROSEA.png

Plant Resources of South-East Asia
Introduction

List of species

Pouteria torricellensis (K. Schumann) Baehni

Protologue: Candollea 9: 379 (1942).

Synonyms

Planchonella samoensis Reinecke ex H.J. Lam (1925),
Planchonella torricellensis (K. Schumann) H.J. Lam (1932).

Vernacular names

Papua New Guinea: red planchonella.

Distribution

The Moluccas (Seram), New Guinea and Samoa; perhaps also on Bali.

Uses

The timber is used as nyatoh and traded as "planchonella" in Papua New Guinea. It is used for masts, window and door frames and moulding; it is suitable for veneer.

Observations

A large tree up to 45 m tall.
Leaves evenly distributed, ovate or elliptical, with rather indistinct transverse tertiary venation, initially sparsely hairy but soon glabrescent on both sides.
Flowers in many-flowered clusters in leaf axils (rarely on a short axillary leafless shoot), borne on filiform pedicels, 5-12 mm long, greenish.
Fruit obliquely ellipsoid, 1.5-2.5 cm long, glabrous (sometimes except at base), reddish, purplish or maroon when mature.

P. torricellensis is found in lowland forest up to 700 m altitude. In New Guinea it is locally rather common. The wood saws easily and works well, it peels and glues well and is easy to nail and screw. The density is 510-600 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content. See also the table on wood properties.

Selected sources

67, 359, 732.

Main genus page

Pouteria

Authors

R.H.M.J. Lemmens (selection of species)