Hopea odorata Roxb.

Family

Dipterocarpaceae

Synonyms

None

Vernacular Names

Geographical Distributions

Hopea odorata is found in Bangladesh, Burma, Laos, southern Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Andaman Islands and northern Peninsular Malaysia.

Description

H. odorata is a medium-sized to large tree that can reach up to 45 m tall, with a straight bole, cylindrical, branchless for up to 25 m tall, measuring up to 120 cm in diametre and with prominent buttresses.

The bark surface is scaly and dark brown. The outer bark is rather thick while the inner bark is dull yellow, tinged green at the cambium and with resinous sapwood. The young parts are sparsely pale buff puberulent.

The leaves are ovate-lance-shaped, measuring 7-14 cm x 3-7 cm, falcate, broadly wedge-shaped at the base, unequal, broad acumen, measure up to 1.5 cm long, scalariform venation and with applanate to slightly channelled midrib above while the secondary veins are 9-12 pairs, prominent beneath, arched and with prominent saccate axillary domatia.

There are 15 stamens which are with narrowly ellipsoid anthers, an ovoid ovary, punctate or hairless and surmounted by an equally tall columnar style.

The 2 longer fruit sepal lobes measuring up to 5.5 cm x 2 cm, broadly spatulate and saccate while the 3 shorter ones measuring up to 4 mm x 4 mm, ovate and sub-acuminate.

Ecology / Cultivation

H. odorata is a riparian species and usually occurs on deep rich soils up to 600 m altitude. The density of the wood is 620-930 kg/m³ at 15% of moisture content.

Line Drawing / Photograph

References

1. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 5(1): Timber trees: Major commercial timbers.