Intsia bijuga

Last updated

Intsia bijuga
Intsia bijuga.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Intsia
Species:
I. bijuga
Binomial name
Intsia bijuga
Synonyms [2] [3] [4]
23 synonyms
  • Afzelia bijuga(Colebr.) A.Gray
  • Afzelia bijuga f. sambiranensisR.Vig.
  • Afzelia madagascariensis(DC.) Baill.
  • Afzelia retusaKurz
  • Afzelia tashiroiHayata
  • Eperua decandraBlanco
  • Intsia amboinensisDC.
  • Intsia cuanzensisKuntze
  • Intsia madagascariensisDC.
  • Intsia moelebeiVieill.
  • Intsia retusa(Kurz) Kuntze
  • Intsia tashiroiHayata
  • Jonesia monopetalaHassk.
  • Jonesia scandensRoxb.
  • Jonesia triandraRoxb.
  • Macrolobium amboinenseTeijsm. ex Hassk.
  • Macrolobium bijugumColebr.
  • Outea bijuga(Colebr.) DC.
  • Pahudia hasskarlianaMiq.
  • Phanera scandens(Roxb.) Teijsm. & Binn.
  • Saraca triandra(Roxb.) Baker
  • Tamarindus intsiaSpreng.
  • Seymeria madagascariensisKuntze

Intsia bijuga, commonly known as Borneo teak, ipil, Johnstone River teak, and kwila, amongst many other names, is a species of tree in the flowering plant family Fabaceae, native to coastal areas from east Africa, through India and Southeast Asia to Australia and the western Pacific. It has significant importance to indigenous cultures in many parts of its range, but is also threatened by illegal logging due to its high quality timber. It is most commonly found in tropical coastal forests.

Contents

Description

Intsia bijuga is an evergreen tree that usually grows to about 25–35 m (82–115 ft) tall but may reach 50 m (160 ft), a trunk diameter between 60 and 125 cm (24 and 49 in), and buttresses up to 4 m (13 ft) tall and 2 m (6 ft 7 in) wide. The compound leaves are arranged spirally on the twigs, and usually have four broadly oval-shaped and asymmetrical leaflets, each measuring up to 18 cm (7.1 in) long by 12 cm (4.7 in) wide. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

The inflorescences are terminal and carry many bisexual flowers (i.e. flowers that have both male and female parts). Only one petal is fully developed and is up to 3 cm (1.2 in) long; it is initially white and turns pink or red with age. The fruit is a rather flat woody pod measuring between 10–28 cm (3.9–11.0 in) long and 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) broad, with up to 8 disc-shaped seeds about 3 cm (1.2 in) diameter and 1 cm (0.39 in) thick. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Phenology

In Australia, in the southern hemisphere, flowering occurs from December to May. [6]

Taxonomy

The species was first described as Macrolobium bijugum by the English botanist Henry Thomas Colebrooke in 1819, and was transferred to the genus Intsia by the German botanist Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze in 1891. [10]

Etymology

The derivation of the genus name Intsia is uncertain, [11] [12] but it has been suggested it may come from the Malayalam name for Acacia intsia. [8] The species epithet bijuga is from the Latin words bi (two) and jugus (paired), and is a reference to the (usually) two pairs of leaflets in the compound leaf. [6]

Vernacular names

Due to the wide distribution of this species, spanning many different language and cultural areas, there are many common names for this tree. Some of these names are Borneo teak, intsia, Johnstone River teak, Moluccan ironwood, Pacific teak, scrub mahogany and teak in English; and bendora, ifit, ipil, kayu besi, kwila, melila, merbau asam, merbau ayer, merbau ipil, tashiro-mame, and vesi in other languages across its range. [8] [6] [13] [14]

Distribution and habitat

The natural range of Intsia bijuga is, in broad terms, the Indo-Pacific region. It is native to Tanzania in Africa; the Chagos Archipelago, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles in the western Indian Ocean; Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka in the Indian subcontinent; Andaman Islands, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nicobar Islands, Thailand and Vietnam in Indo-China; Taiwan in the South China Sea; Borneo, Java, Malaysia, Maluku, the Philippines, Sulawesi and Sumatra in Malesia; the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in Papuasia; the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia; and the Caroline Islands, Fiji, the Marianas, the Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Palau, Samoa, Santa Cruz Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu in the western Pacific Ocean. [2] [5] [8] [13]

The species is mostly coastal and inhabits beach forest and the upper reaches of mangrove forest, but it can also be found in rainforest and may even occur up to 600 m (2,000 ft) altitude. [5] [8] [6]

Uses

Carving from kwila timber Figura electoral de Leonard Louma, British Museum.jpg
Carving from kwila timber

The timber of this species is a very durable and termite-resistant wood, making it a highly valued and versatile building material with applications in engineering and construction as well as decorative work. [5] [7] [14] [15] It has a density of 830 kg/m3 (1,400 lb/cu yd) and an above-ground life expectancy of more than 40 years. [14]

The tree had many uses in the indigenous communities where the tree is found — the timber was used for house building and for construction of canoes and rafts, and for the carving of ornaments and tools. A dye can be extracted from the wood and an insect repellent can be made from the seeds.Decoctions from various parts of the tree have been used to treat a range of ailments such as diarrhoea, rheumatism, pain, colds and influenza. [6] [7] [12]

Conservation

As of October 2024, Intsia bijuga was classified on a world-wide scale as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), [1] however, various regional authorities have given it different ratings. For example, in Queensland, Australia, it has been given least concern status, whereas in the neighbouring Northern Territory it is listed as critically endangered. [16] [17] It is also listed as critically endangered in Singapore, but as vulnerable in India. [18] [19]

Illegal logging

Felled kwila logs in New Guinea Intsia bijuga grumes.jpg
Felled kwila logs in New Guinea

It is believed that the species now exists in large numbers only on the island of New Guinea, and that illegal logging is being carried out there as well as Indonesia and Malaysia. In 2007 Greenpeace accused China of importing large amounts of illegally-felled ipil logs from New Guinea, and claimed at the time that at the current rate of logging "the species will be virtually wiped out in the next 35 years". [20] [21] [22]

Greenpeace have targeted users in Western countries in order to halt the trade in ipil. In New Zealand attempts have been made to stop it from being imported. In 2008 retailers were divided as to whether the sale of the timber should be banned. Jim Anderton, who was the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry at that time, did not support a ban and instead he left it up to consumer choice. [23]

As of 2022, illegal harvesting of the trees was still going on in New Guinea. [22]

Culture

Intsia bijuga is the official tree of the United States territory of Guam and is a culturally important tree throughout the rest of the Marianas. [15] The Tivia clan of Suburam village on the north coast of Papua New Guinea believe that the timber has spiritual powers, [22] and the tree is sacred to Fijian people. [12] [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Castanospermum</i> Genus of legumes

Castanospermum is a monotypic genus in the legume family Fabaceae. The sole species is Castanospermum australe, commonly known as Moreton Bay chestnut or black bean, which is native to rainforested areas on the east coast of Queensland and northeastern New South Wales, and to the southwest Pacific islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia

<i>Agathis robusta</i> Species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae

Agathis robusta, commonly known as Dundathu pine, kauri pine, Queensland kauri (pine), Australian kauri (pine) or smooth-barked kauri, is a coniferous tree in the family Araucariaceae. Although some common names use the word 'pine' it is not a true pine, having leaves rather than needles. It has a disjunct distribution, occurring in Papua New Guinea and two locations in Queensland, Australia.

<i>Toona ciliata</i> Species of tree

Toona ciliata is a forest tree in the mahogany family which grows throughout South Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia.

<i>Canarium australianum</i> Species of tree

Canarium australianum, commonly known as scrub turpentine, is a species of tree in the family Burseraceae native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. Other common names include mango bark, carrot wood, parsnip wood, Melville Island white beech and brown cudgerie.

<i>Heritiera littoralis</i> Species of mangrove tree in the family Malvaceae

Heritiera littoralis, commonly known as the looking-glass mangrove or tulip mangrove, is a mangrove tree in the family Malvaceae native to coastal areas of eastern Africa, Asia, Melanesia and northern Australia. The common name refers to the silvery appearance of the underside of the leaves, resembling a mirror to some degree. The strong timber has uses in marine applications and elsewhere.

<i>Intsia</i> Genus of legumes

Intsia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It includes two species which range from eastern Africa and Madagascar to India, Indochina, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, northern Australia, and the south Pacific. They are trees which grow up to 40 (–45) meters tall, often buttressed, evergreen and unarmed. Typical habitat is humid tropical lowland forest including coastal forest on sand, rain forest, mangrove fringes and tidal river mouths, and occasionally inland on hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Guinea mangroves</span> Mangrove ecoregion that covers extensive areas of the coastline New Guinea

The New Guinea mangroves is a mangrove ecoregion that covers extensive areas of the coastline New Guinea, the large island in the western Pacific Ocean north of Australia.

<i>Allophylus cobbe</i> Species of plant in the family Sapindaceae

Allophylus cobbe, commonly known as titberry or Indian allophylus, is a pantropical, shrub in the family Sapindaceae with many uses in traditional medicine. It has a highly variable morphology throughout its range and may prove to be more than one species.

<i>Didymocheton pettigrewianus</i> Species of tree in the family Meliaceae

Didymocheton pettigrewianus, commonly known as spur mahogany, spurwood, or Cairns satinwood, is a large tree in the family Meliaceae. It is native to the rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia and Queensland. In Queensland it occurs only in a small part of the northeast coast.

<i>Tabernaemontana pandacaqui</i> Species of plant

Tabernaemontana pandacaqui, known as windmill bush and banana bush, is a species of plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae.

<i>Dillenia alata</i> Species of flowering plant

Dillenia alata, commonly known as red beech, golden guinea flower or golden guinea tree, is a tree in the Dilleniaceae family, found in New Guinea, and the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia. It has found some popularity as an ornamental for tropical parks and large gardens due to its colourful flowers and fruit.

<i>Canarium acutifolium</i> Species of plant

Canarium acutifolium is a species of plant in the family Burseraceae, native to eastern Malesia, Papuasia and Queensland.

<i>Didymocheton gaudichaudianus</i> Species of tree in the family Meliaceae

Didymocheton gaudichaudianus, commonly known as ivory mahogany, is a species of rainforest tree in the family Meliaceae, native to Malesia, Papuasia, Queensland, and some southwest Pacific islands.

<i>Intsia palembanica</i> Species of legume

Intsia palembanica is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. Common names include Borneo teak, Malacca teak, merbau and Moluccan ironwood. It is native to tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia and the islands of the southwest Pacific. Intsia palembanica differs from Intsia bijuga in the number of leaflets that make up the compound leaves.

<i>Palaquium galactoxylum</i> Species of tree in the family Sapotaceae

Palaquium galactoxylum, commonly known as Cairns pencil cedar, Daintree maple or red silkwood, is a species of plants in the star apple family Sapotaceae which is endemic to rainforests of New Guinea and northern Australia. It can produce spectacularly large buttress roots.

Spathiostemon javensis is a plant that can grow as a shrub or a tree in the tribe Acalypheae of the family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to the region from the Bismarck Archipelago to New Guinea, Wallacea and into Southeast Asia. It is often common in the understorey of forests. The wood is used in constructions.

Hopea novoguineensis is a rainforest tree species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in New Guinea and on Halmahera, Maluku Province, Indonesia. The tree produces good timber.

<i>Cleistanthus apodus</i> Species of flowering plant

Cleistanthus apodus, commonly known as the weeping Cleistanthus, is a tree in the family Phyllanthaceae native to New Guinea and northeast Queensland. It was first described in 1873 by the English botanist George Bentham in his seven-volume book Flora Australiensis.

<i>Selaginella ciliaris</i> Species of spore-bearing plant

Selaginella ciliaris is a plant in the family Selaginellaceae which is native to areas from India and Nepal eastwards to China and Taiwan, and south to northern Australia.

Dysoxylum acutangulum is a species of flowering plant in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. It is a tree native to Peninsular Thailand, Malesia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 Barstow, M. (2020). "Intsia bijuga". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T32310A2813445. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T32310A2813445.en . Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) Kuntze". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  3. "Intsia bijuga var. bijuga". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  4. "Intsia bijuga var. retusa (Kurz) Sanjappa". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 F.A. Zich; B.P.M Hyland; T. Whiffen; R.A. Kerrigan (2020). "Intsia bijuga". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, Edition 8. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ross, J.H.; Kodela, P.G. (2022). Kodela, P.G. (ed.). "Intsia bijuga". Flora of Australia . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Intsia bijuga (vesi)" (PDF). Agroforestry. Agroforestry Net, Inc. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) Kuntze". Flora and Fauna Web. Singapore Government . Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  9. 1 2 "PNGTreesKey - Intsia bijuga Kuntze". www.pngplants.org. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  10. "Intsia bijuga". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  11. Ross, J.H. (2022). "Intsia". Flora of Australia . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 Thomson, Lex; Thaman, Randolf R.; Martel, François; Elevitch, Craig (2018). Thomson, L.; Doran, J.; Clarke, B. (eds.). Trees for life in Oceania: conservation and utilisation of genetic diversity (PDF). Canberra: Centre for International Agricultural Research. pp. 143–146. ISBN   978-1-925746-18-1. ISSN   1447-090X . Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Intsia bijuga". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 "Wood properties and uses of Australian timbers - Kwila". Business Queensland. Queensland Government. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  15. 1 2 Wescom, Robert W. (2024). "Guam Trees: Ifit". Guampedia. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  16. "Species profile—Intsia bijuga". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  17. Cowie I, Lewis D, et al. (2013). "Intsia bijuga". FloraNT, Northern Territory Herbarium . Northern Territory Government, Darwin. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  18. "Flora (Red Data Book List)". Flora and Fauna Web. Singapore Government. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  19. "Threatened Taxa" (PDF). Botanical Survey of India. Government of India. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  20. Bristow, Michael (6 July 2007). "China trade threatens tropical trees". BBC. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  21. Stark, Tamara; Cheung, Sze Pang. "Sharing the Blame - Global Consumption and China's Role in Ancient Forest Destruction" (PDF). Greenpeace. Greenpeace International and Greenpeace China. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  22. 1 2 3 Chandler, Jo (8 October 2022). "Fighting off the bulldozers in the sacred kwila forests of Papua New Guinea". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  23. Gibson, Eloise (18 August 2008). "Stores divided over calls to ban kwila". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 June 2010.

Further reading