Vatica rassak (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Vatica rassak (Korth.) Blume
- Protologue: Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 2: 31 (1852).
Synonyms
- Vatica papuana Dyer (1878),
- Vatica moluccana Burck (1887),
- Vatica celebensis Brandis (1895).
Vernacular names
- Indonesia: resak danau (Kalimantan), damar hiru (Moluccas), damar dereh (Sulawesi)
- Malaysia: resak irian, resak danau, resak ayer (Sabah)
- Philippines: tawi-tawi narig.
Distribution
Borneo, the southern Philippines (Tawi Tawi), Sulawesi, the Moluccas and New Guinea.
Uses
The timber is used as resak; it is suitable for general construction where no sudden bending or shocks are likely to occur. The wood is used as firewood. The resin is collected as "damar rasak" and used for caulking boats and illumination.
Observations
- A medium-sized to fairly large tree, up to 40 m tall with straight bole branchless for up to 22 m and up to 50 cm in diameter, fluted at base and with low or without buttresses.
- Leaves oblong to narrowly elliptical, 13-32 cm × 5-11 cm, thickly leathery, with (10-)16-20 pairs of secondary veins, sparsely hairy on veins beneath, petiole 20-25 mm long.
- Inflorescences irregularly branched, appearing fascicled, up to 14 cm long.
- Flower buds up to 14 mm long.
- Nut oblong to ovoid, large, up to 50 mm long, minutely corky verrucose, with 5 equal, incrassate and reflexed fruit calyx lobes.
V. rassak is locally abundant on river banks and dry ridges up to 500 m altitude. The timber belongs to the lighter resak timbers, with a density of 490-650 kg/m3, rarely up to 890 kg/m3, at 15% moisture content; it is not very durable and somewhat brittle. See also the table on wood properties.
Selected sources
100, 175, 318, 359, 461, 735, 748.
Main genus page
Authors
- R.H.M.J. Lemmens (selection of species)