Eusideroxylon
| Eusideroxylon | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Young tree of Eusideroxylon zwageri | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Lauraceae |
| Genus: |
Eusideroxylon Teijsm. & Binn. |
| Species | |
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possibly 2, comprising:
|
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possibly 2, comprising:
Eusideroxylon is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Lauraceae family. The genus is possibly monotypic; it includes one accepted species (E. zwageri) and one that is "unresolved" (E. melagangai). It is present in coastal and montane rainforests of Southeast Asia, and in laurel forest habitat. Eusideroxylon are hardwood trees reaching up to 50 metres in height with trunks over 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in diameter, producing commercially valuable timber. The wood of E. zwageri (Borneo Ironwood or Belian) is impervious to termites, and can last up to 100 years after being cut. Due to extensive logging, it is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of IUCN, and conservation efforts are underway, with several countries banning imports.
Eusideroxylon are canopy tree species with erect or spreading branches and extremely durable and decay-resistant wood. They are native to tropical rain forests in south-east Asia (namely Malaysia, Indonesia—notably its islands of Borneo, Java, and Sumatra—and the Philippines).
The color of the flowers is pale yellow to yellow. The flower is hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, with 6 tepals, distributed in two whorls that overlap. There are six staminodes, three stamens, and a simple pistil that consists of one carpel.Pollination is done by bees and other insects. The fruits are drupes, varying in size and shape from oblong to ovate or sub-cylindrical to asymmetric elongated or rounded. They are 8–13 cm long, 4–5 cm in diameter, and weigh 90g-170g. Seed dispersal is by vertebrate animals such as birds, monkeys, bats and rodents, for which the fruits are an important food source.
The thick, leathery leaves are dark green, 26–29 cm in length, with a width of 10–11 cm. Young leaves are reddish brown to yellowish red. They have a generous layer of wax, making them glossy in appearance, and are narrow, pointed oval in shape with an apical mucro, or 'drip tip', which enables the leaves to shed excess water in a humid environment.
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Wikipedia