Heritiera littoralis Aiton
Family
Sterculiaceae
Synonyms
Heritiera minor (Gaertner) Lamk.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia |
Dungun (General), dungut laut (Sabah). |
| English | Looking-glass tree. |
| Indonesia | Dungon (General), dungun kecil (Kalimantan). |
| Thailand |
Khai khwai (Krabi), duhun (Trang), ngonkai-thale (Central, Surat Thani). |
| Philippines | Dungon-late (Pilipino). |
| Burma | Pinle-kanazo. |
| Cambodia | Khleay. |
| Vietnam | C[aa]y cui, cui bien. |
| Brunei | Itik-itikan. |
Geographical Distributions
Heritiera littoralis is found in Eastern Africa, southern Asia from India to southern China and to tropical Australia, Hawaii and New Caledonia; throughout Malesia.
Description
Heritiera littoralis is a medium-sized evergreen tree that can reach up to 25 m tall but usually much less, usually with twisted and stunted bole measuring up to 40(-60) cm in diametre. The buttresses are thin, wavy and extending far out.
The leaves are simple, silvery scaly beneath, with petioles 0.5-1(-2) cm long and stout. The panicles are lax and measuring up to 18 cm long.
The ellipsoid fruit is with a rudder-like ridge, hairless and glossy.
Ecology / Cultivation
Heritiera littoralis grows in the inland zone of mangrove swamps, and it is common in many places. The wood often smells like leather. The density of the wood is 830-1040 kg/m3 at 15% moisture content.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.5(1): Timber trees: Major commercial timbers.
