Hopea mengarawan (Merawan Penak)

Description

Hopea mengarawan is a tall tree from the Dipterocarpaceae family, growing up to 40 m tall. Leaves are small, alternate, leathery, brownish below and golden-brown above when dry. Each flowering shoot is up to 3 cm long and bears up to 6 white-yellowish tiny flowers. Its green-red Fruits are green-red ovoid nuts with 2 long wings and 3 short wings allowing seed dispersal away from the mother tree.

Place of origin

Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo

Ethnobotanical uses

This tree is harvested from the wild for local use of its resin and good quality wood. The wood medium-hard and it is used for light construction, door and window frames, carpentry, flooring and veneer. The bark is used for roofing traditional houses. The resin is used as dammar gum. The dammar gum is used as main ingredients to make varnish for enamels and interior work.

IUCN conservation status

Vulnerable (VU)