Pyrenaria (PROSEA)
Introduction |
Pyrenaria Blume
- Protologue: Bijdr. fl. Ned. Ind. 17: 1119 (1827).
- Family: Theaceae
- Chromosome number: x= unknown; 2n= unknown
Vernacular names
- Bat's apple (En)
- Malaysia: kelat jambu arang, medang gelugur, samak jantan (Peninsular).
Origin and geographic distribution
Pyrenaria comprises about 30 species occurring from eastern India to Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, southern China, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Thailand and the western Malesian region. Southern China appears to be richest in species. In Malesia 8 species are found, 7 of which occur in Peninsular Malaysia, 4 in Sumatra, 1 in Java, 2 in Borneo and possibly 1 in the Philippines. Timber use has been reported for a single species, P. acuminata Planch., found in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and the Riau Archipelago.
Uses
The wood of Pyrenaria has been used in local house building for posts and rafters and as poles for fencing.
The root has been applied as a medicine for sores on legs.
Production and international trade
Utilization of the wood of Pyrenaria is very limited and on a local scale only.
Properties
P. acuminata yields a medium-weight hardwood with a density of about 600 kg/m3at 15% moisture content. Wood pale reddish-brown and soft. The following description is based on 3 extra-Malesian Pyrenaria species. Wood pale brown with pink tinge; grain straight to wavy; texture very fine and even. Growth rings indistinct to distinct, distinct rings marked by vesselless zones producing faint but attractive longitudinal streaks; vessels very small to small grading in size across the growth ring, solitary and in short radial multiples; parenchyma apotracheal diffuse to diffuse-in-aggregates, and scanty paratracheal, only visible in vesselless zones; rays fine to moderately broad tending to be of 2 distinct widths; ripple marks absent.
See also the table on microscopic wood anatomy.
Botany
Evergreen, small trees up to 12 m tall; bark surface smooth, becoming cracked in patches with age, grey to brown-black, inner bark fibrous, red; crown dense with stout branches. Young twigs hispid, older ones sericeous. Leaves arranged spirally, simple, serrate, lower surface velvety, exstipulate. Flowers axillary, solitary or sometimes in a fascicle of 2-3, with 3 bracts and 3 bracteoles; sepals 5-6, subequal; petals 5, shortly fused at base; stamens many, in 5-6 rows and adnate to the corolla; ovary superior, 5-6-locular with 2-3(-7) ovules in each cell, styles 3-5, fused. Fruit an indehiscent berry. Seedling with epigeal germination; cotyledons emergent, leafy; hypocotyl elongated; all leaves arranged spirally.
The shoot system is monomorphic with all shoots upright or dimorphic with orthotropic leaders and plagiotropic branching. P. acuminata bears flowers and fruits throughout the year. It is possibly night-flowering.
Pyrenaria has been united with the genus Tutcheria which formerly incorporated many Chinese species.
Ecology
P. acuminata is versatile. It is found in dense forest, on the crests of ridges, in swamp forest or along streams. It usually occurs below 100 m altitude but may ascend up to 1300 m.
Silviculture Pyrenaria can be raised from seed. Seed of P. acuminata achieved a germination rate of about 80% in 24-74 days, but in another test seed failed to germinate. A seed count is available for P. serrata Blume which has about 3200 dry seeds/kg. In nursery conditions germination of the species proved good and more or less simultaneous.
Genetic resources and breeding
As P. acuminata is hardly ever cut for its wood and is an ecologically verstile species, it does not seem endangered.
Prospects
No description of the wood of P. acuminata and no information on wood properties is available, indicating that the wood is only very rarely used. This situation is unlikely to change in the near future.
Literature
163, 209, 238, 405, 436, 539, 541, 829, 831, 939, 1221.
E. Boer (general part),
M.S.M. Sosef (general part),
J. Ilic (wood anatomy)