Shorea singkawang

(Miq.) Burck

Dark red meranti

DipterocarpaceaeFruitSeeds/Nuts

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(c) syuhada, some rights reserved (CC BY)

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(c) Arief Hamidi, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit for starch, Nuts

The fruit yields an edible fat resembling cocoa butter and is also eaten for starch, and the nuts are consumed.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows in lowland dipterocarp forests. It is usually in damp soils near streams. It can grow up to 400 m above sea level.

Asia, Indochina, Malaysia, SE Asia, Thailand,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A large tropical tree of the Dipterocarpaceae family found in lowland dipterocarp forests up to 400 m elevation, typically growing in damp soils near streams. It is listed as an at-risk species.

How to Grow

Propagation: We have no specific information for this species - the information below is a general guide for the genus. Seed - best sown as soon as possible. It does not require pre-treatment, but it is recommended to soak the seed for 12 hours prior to sowing. The seeds are sown in seedbeds, where they are covered with a mixture of sand and soil (1:1) or with a thin layer of sawdust. Germination of fresh seeds is usually good and rapid. About two weeks after germination, when the seedlings are 5 - 6cm tall, they are potted up into individual containers about 15 x 23cm with good drainage holes at their base. It is normally recommended to use a mixture of forest soil and sand (at a ratio of 3:1) as the potting medium in order to introduce the appropriate mycorrhiza to the roots. The seedlings are placed in 50 - 60% sunlight and watered twice daily. Seedlings can be planted out when 30 - 40cm tall - harden the seedlings off in full sunlight for one month prior to planting.

Medicinal Uses

The fruit produces an edible fat like cocoa butter.

Other Uses

The wood is a source of the timber 'Dark Red Meranti'. We do not have a specific description, but the general description of dark red meranti is as follows:- The heartwood is pink-brown to dark red or purplish-brown, with white resin streaks; it is clearly demarcated from the 4 - 8cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain interlocked. The wood is moderately heavy, soft, moderately durable. It seasons well and is stable in service. It has a fairly high blunting effect and so stellite-tipped and tungsten-carbide tools are recommended, there is some risk of tearing due to the interlocked grain; nailing and screwing are good; gluing is correct. The wood has a wide range of uses including for interior and exterior panelling and joinery, light carpentry, flooring, turnery, sculpture, wood-ware and cabinetwork.