Dipterocarpus gracilis
Blume, Bijdr. 224. 1825. D.pilosus Roxb., [Hort. Beng. 93 - 1814, nom. nud.] Fl. Ind. 2: 615. 1832; Dyer in Fl. Brit. India 1: 296. 1874. D.skinneri King in J. Asiat. Soc. Beng. 62: 92. 1893. D. turbinatus Buch.-Ham in Mem. Wern. Soc. 6: 300. 1832, non Gaertn. f. 1805. D.turbinatus Gaertn. f. var. andamanica King in J. Asiat. soc.
Beng. 62: 92. 1893. D.andamanicus (King) Tewary & Sarkar in Ind. J. For. 10: 63.1987.
And.: Gurjan, Chota Pata Gurjan; Eng.: Short leaf Gurjan.
Trees, ca 40 m tall; bole cylindrical, ca 5 m in girth; branchlets, leaf buds, exterior of stipulcs, undersurface of leaves, midrib above and petioles densely rufous tomentose. Leaves 8 - 29 x 4 - 15 cm, ovate, elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse to rounded at base, shortly acuminate at apex, slightly repand or distantly crenate, with fascicled cilia, at first pubescent, becoming glabrous on dorsal surface, lateral veins 12 - 24 pairs; petioles 2.5 - 4 cm long. Racemes ca 9 cm long, terminal or axillary, geniculate. Flower-buds ca 2.5 x 0.8 cm. Calyx tube ca 1.5 cm long, ovoid, obovoid to funnel-shaped, slightly angular, glabrous. Corolla lobes 2.5 - 4 cm long, stellate-tomentose outside. Stamens ca 30, longer than style; filaments short; anthers linear, connective produced into a bristle. Ovary ovoid-conical, tapering into a slender stylopodium; styles slender, filiform, tomentose on the basal half. Fruit almost globose or broadly ovoid-conical, smooth without ribs or striations, two longer lobes of fruiting calyx ca 16.5 x 2.3 cm, narrowly spathulate, obtuse, strongly reticulated, three shorter lobes ca 2.2 x 1 cm, ovate to orbicular, constricted at base.
Fl. Nov. - Jan.; Fr. Feb. - May.
Distrib. India: One of the principal constituents of the upper storey in tropical evergreen and semievergreen forests, usually on well drained alluvial soils in valleys and hill tops. Assam and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malesia.
Notes. The white resin obtained from the bark is characteristic of the species. Ashton (in Fl. Males. 1,9(2): 302.1982) mentions that this species was confused in the past with D. baudii Korthals, a species of Cochin-China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Malesia. However, the longer tomentum on vegetative buds, exterior of the stipules, twigs, petioles and inflorescence, and in general, larger size of all parts, almost glabrous, elliptic to elliptic-ovate leaves with acute tip and the oblong fruit wings abruptly constricted at the base in the latter species distinguishes it from D. gracilis Blume. Smitinand et al (in Thai For. Bull. 12: 36.1980) state that the "this species is closely allied to the Malesian species, D. chartaceus Sym. with which it is often reported to grow but can be distinguished easily from the latter by its narrow wings, nearly cuneate towards the base and the tawny pilose-tomentose twigs".
Wood used for general construction purposes, especially for interior works and also as sleeper wood after treatment. Oleo-resin is used in the treatment of of urino-genital diseases.
Trees, ca 40 m tall; bole cylindrical, ca 5 m in girth; branchlets, leaf buds, exterior of stipulcs, undersurface of leaves, midrib above and petioles densely rufous tomentose. Leaves 8 - 29 x 4 - 15 cm, ovate, elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse to rounded at base, shortly acuminate at apex, slightly repand or distantly crenate, with fascicled cilia, at first pubescent, becoming glabrous on dorsal surface, lateral veins 12 - 24 pairs; petioles 2.5 - 4 cm long. Racemes ca 9 cm long, terminal or axillary, geniculate. Flower-buds ca 2.5 x 0.8 cm. Calyx tube ca 1.5 cm long, ovoid, obovoid to funnel-shaped, slightly angular, glabrous. Corolla lobes 2.5 - 4 cm long, stellate-tomentose outside. Stamens ca 30, longer than style; filaments short; anthers linear, connective produced into a bristle. Ovary ovoid-conical, tapering into a slender stylopodium; styles slender, filiform, tomentose on the basal half. Fruit almost globose or broadly ovoid-conical, smooth without ribs or striations, two longer lobes of fruiting calyx ca 16.5 x 2.3 cm, narrowly spathulate, obtuse, strongly reticulated, three shorter lobes ca 2.2 x 1 cm, ovate to orbicular, constricted at base.
Fl. Nov. - Jan.; Fr. Feb. - May.
Distrib. India: One of the principal constituents of the upper storey in tropical evergreen and semievergreen forests, usually on well drained alluvial soils in valleys and hill tops. Assam and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malesia.
Notes. The white resin obtained from the bark is characteristic of the species. Ashton (in Fl. Males. 1,9(2): 302.1982) mentions that this species was confused in the past with D. baudii Korthals, a species of Cochin-China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Malesia. However, the longer tomentum on vegetative buds, exterior of the stipules, twigs, petioles and inflorescence, and in general, larger size of all parts, almost glabrous, elliptic to elliptic-ovate leaves with acute tip and the oblong fruit wings abruptly constricted at the base in the latter species distinguishes it from D. gracilis Blume. Smitinand et al (in Thai For. Bull. 12: 36.1980) state that the "this species is closely allied to the Malesian species, D. chartaceus Sym. with which it is often reported to grow but can be distinguished easily from the latter by its narrow wings, nearly cuneate towards the base and the tawny pilose-tomentose twigs".
Wood used for general construction purposes, especially for interior works and also as sleeper wood after treatment. Oleo-resin is used in the treatment of of urino-genital diseases.
