Shorea Temporal range: | |
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Shorea roxburghii | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malvales |
Family: | Dipterocarpaceae |
Tribe: | Shoreae |
Genus: | Shorea Roxb. ex C.F.Gaertn. (1805) |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Shorea is a genus of about 47 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The timber of trees of the genus is sold under the common names lauan, luan, lawaan, meranti, seraya, balau, bangkirai, and Philippine mahogany. [2]
The tallest documented tropical angiosperm is a 100.8 m (331 ft) Shorea faguetiana found in the Danum Valley Conservation Area, in Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo). In Sabah's Tawau Hills National Park, at least five other species of the genus have been measured to be over 80 m (260 ft) tall: S. argentifolia , S. gibbosa , S. johorensis , S. smithiana , and S. superba . [3] Borneo is also the hotspot of Shorea diversity with 138 species, of which 91 are endemic to the island. [4]
The majority of Shorea spp. are general flowering species, which is an event occurring at irregular intervals of 3–10 years, in which nearly all dipterocarp species together with species of other families bloom heavily. [5] General flowering is thought to have evolved to satiate seed predators [6] and/or to facilitate pollination. [5] Both explanations apparently hold merit. [7] Flowering is thought to be triggered by droughts that occur during transition periods from La Niña to El Niño. [8] The magnitude of a flowering event is suggested to be dependent on the timing of the droughts associated with the El Niño southern oscillation cycle, with the largest events occurring after an interval of several years with no flowering. [8]
Shorea spp. are insect pollinated. A variety of insects have been identified as pollinators, with species within the sections of Shorea sharing the same insect pollinators. Flowering within a section is sequential within one habitat and species association to prevent competition for pollinators. [9]
Seed predation and mortality have an impact on the reproduction process of dipterocarps such as Shorea. In Singapore, crab-eating macaque and moth larvae are known seed predators. [10]
Shorea fossils (linked with the modern sal, S. robusta, which is still a dominant tree species in Indian forests) are known from as early as the Eocene of Gujarat, India. They are identifiable by the amber fossils formed by their dammar resin. [11] Other fossils include a Miocene-aged fossilized fruit from the same region; this fruit most closely resembles the extant S. macroptera of the Malay Peninsula. [12]
The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the governor-general of the British East India Company, 1793–1798.
Shorea spp. are native to Southeast Asia, from northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In west Malesia and the Philippines, this genus dominates the skyline of the tropical forests.
Of the 148 species of Shorea currently listed on the IUCN Redlist, most are listed as being critically endangered. [13] Some concerns exist regarding the IUCN's listing of dipterocarps, as the criteria used to assess the level of threat are based mainly on animal population characteristics. This is thought to overstate the threat assessment, when applied to long-lived, habitat-specific organisms such as trees. [4]
IUCN red list category | Number of species |
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Extinct | 1 |
Critically endangered | 102 |
Endangered | 34 |
Vulnerable | 3 |
Least concern | 6 |
Data deficient | 2 |
Not evaluated | ~48 |
Many economically important timber trees belong to Shorea. They are sold under various trade names including "lauan", "lawaan", "meranti", "seraya", "balau", "bangkirai", and "Philippine mahogany". The "Philippine mahogany" sold in North America is not a true mahogany at all, but a mixture of woods from the genus Shorea.
Other products from Shorea spp. include dammar and illipe. Dammar is a resin collected from a variety of species. It varies in colour among the different taxonomic groups. Shorea wiesneri is listed in many websites as an important source of dammar; [14] however, this appears to be either a trade name or a synonym. [15] [16]
Borneo tallow nut oil is extracted from the egg-shaped, winged fruit of Shorea species. [17]
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of flowering plants with 22 genera and about 695 known species of mainly lowland tropical forest trees. Their distribution is pantropical, from northern South America to Africa, the Seychelles, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. The greatest diversity of Dipterocarpaceae occurs in Borneo.
Dipterocarpus is a genus of flowering plants and the type genus of family Dipterocarpaceae.
Parashorea is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. The name Parashorea is derived from Greek and refers to the genus similarity to Shorea. It contains about 14 species distributed from South Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China and the southernmost parts of China to Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines.
Shorea argentifolia is an emergent rainforest tree species in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It native to Borneo. It grows in mixed dipterocarp forests on hills and ridges, up to 900 metres elevation. The species is threatened by habitat loss. The tallest recorded specimen is 84.9 m tall in the Tawau Hills National Park, in Sabah.
Anthoshorea hypochra called, along with some other species in the genus Anthoshorea, white meranti, is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It grows naturally in Cambodia, Sumatra, Laos, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Neohopea isoptera is a species of flowering plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is the sole species in genus Neohopea. It is a tree endemic to Borneo. It is native to lowland mixed dipterocarp forest up to 500 meters elevation, where it is a canopy tree growing up to 60 meters tall.
Richetia kudatensis is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is endemic to Borneo, in low coastal hills of the north and west of Malaysian Sabah.
Shorea leprosula is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is native to Sumatra, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Java, and Thailand.
Shorea superba is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The species name is derived from Latin and refers to the stature and elegance of the tree.
Vatica harmandiana, also known by the synonym Vatica cinerea, is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is a smallish tree native to Southeast Asia. It is the most common plant species in certain types of mature woodland habitat within its range and is furthermore common in disturbed secondary forests covering much of its range, nonetheless it was considered, along with most Dipterocarpaceae, to be endangered by the IUCN between 1998 and 2017. It is usually not commercially harvested except for local use.
Parashorea tomentella is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is endemic to eastern Borneo. It is a large emergent tree, up to 65 m tall, found in lowland dipterocarp forests on fertile clay soils. It is a light hardwood sold under the trade names of White Lauan or White Seraya. It is found in forest reserves on the east coast of Sabah.
Anthoshorea agami, synonym Shorea agami, is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The species is named after J. Agama a one time forest officier in the Sabah Forestry Department.
Anthoshorea ochracea is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The species name is derived from Latin and refers to the colour of the undersurface of the leaf. A. ochracea is endemic to Borneo.
Shorea atrinervosa is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The species name is derived from Latin and refers to leaf venation which is black in herbarium specimens.
Shorea calcicola is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is endemic to Borneo. The species name is derived from Latin and refers to the preferred habitat of this species. It is a medium-sized tree, usually less than 50 metres (160 ft) tall, found in mixed dipterocarp forest on organic soils over limestone.
Shorea parvifolia is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae, commonly known as light red meranti and white lauan. It is native to tropical southeastern Asia.
Shorea parvistipulata, locally known as kawang daun merah, is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is endemic to Borneo, where it is widespread in lowland and hill rain forests.
Anthoshorea javanica is a species of flowering plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is a tree native to southern Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. It is one of several dipterocarp species commonly known as white meranti.
Rubroshorea ovalis is a species of flowering plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is a large fast-growing tree, up to 50 meters tall, which is native to Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore. It flowers every 3 to 4 years between March and June. Flowers are pollinated by insects and seeds are dispersed by the wind.