Shorea leprosula

Shorea leprosula (called, along with some other species in the genus Shorea, light red meranti) is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Shorea leprosula
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Dipterocarpaceae
Genus: Shorea
Species:
S. leprosula
Binomial name
Shorea leprosula

General description
Shorea leprosula
Bark of Shorea leprosula

Trees up to 60 meter high; approximate 100 cm in diameter; bark greyish brown, shallowly fissured, V-shaped. Outer bark dull purple brown, rather hard, brittle, inner bark fibrous, dull brown or yellowish brown grading to pale at the cambium, sapwood pale or cream, resinous, heartwood dark red or light red brown; leaves elliptic to ovate, 8–14 cm long, 3.5 to 5.5 cm wide, cream scaly, thinly leathery, base obtuse or broadly cuneate, apex acuminate, up to 8 mm long, secondary vein 12–15 pairs, slender, curved towards margin, set at 40 to 550, tertiary veins densely ladder-like, very slender, obscure except in young trees; stipules 10 mm long, 35 mm wide, scars short, horizontal, obscure, oblong to broadly hastate, obtuse, fugacious, falling off early; Fruit pedicel to 2 mm long, calyx sparsely pubescent, 3 longer lobes up to 10 cm long, approximate 2 cm wide, spatulate, obtuse, approximate 5 mm broad above the 8 by 6 mm thickened elliptic, shallowly saccate base, 2 shorter lobes up to 5.5 cm long, approximate 0.3 cm wide, unequal, similarly saccate at base.[1][2][3]

Distribution

South East Asia rain forest; from Peninsular Thailand throughout the Malay Peninsula (excluding the seasonal area), Sumatera, Bangka and Belitung and Borneo.

Ecology
Shorea leprosula plantation in Samboja Lestari area

Shorea leprosula is one of the fastest growing species of Dipterocarp up to about its twentieth year, but it is later surpassed by other Dipterocarp species. Shorea leprosula can grow in a wide variety of site conditions with flat topography found throughout hilly areas, frequently found on well-drained soil, on deep clay soils or swampy soil in the mixed Dipterocarp forest of lowlands and hill up to 700 meter above sea level, but it is a strongly light-demanding species.[4][5][6][7]

One of the key success for Shorea leprosula planting is light control. Light control should correspond to the light requirements of a species during its growing stages, as well as planting methods should reflect site conditions and growth characteristics of the species. Shorea leprosula is a light-demanding species at the early stage, 60 to 73% (relative light intensity) for seedlings and 74 to 100% for saplings.[8][9]

Vernacular names

The trade name for Shorea leprosula is red meranti or meranti merah; Brunai and Sawarak: Meranti tembaga, perawan lop; Malaya and Sumatera: meranti betul, meranti bunga, meranti lempong, meranti tamak, meranti hijau, meranti sabut, merati kait, meranti sepang (Palembang); Kutai: Lampong, banti, barit, bekunsu, belaitok, belito, damar; Sampit: lentang; Dayang Benuag: Mengkorau.[10]

Propagation
Shorea leprosula seedlings in nursery Samboja

Shorea leprosula can be propagated by seeds, cuttings and wildlings.

Fruit of Shorea leprosula

Uses

The wood is used for construction.

Sources
Material herbarium of Shorea leprosula

Notes
  1. Keβler, P.J.A. and Sadiyasa, K., 1994. Trees of the Balikpapan-Samarinda Area, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. A manual to 280 selected species. Tropenbos series 7. The Tropenbos Foundation, Wageningen, the Netherlands. 446.pp
  2. Ashton, P.S., 1982. Diptrocarpaceae. In: Flora Malesiana Series I (sec. Mutica) Vol. 9 (2), 540–541
  3. Newman, M.F, Burgess, P.F., Whitmore, T.C., 2000. Manuals of Dipterocarps for Foresters: Borneo island light hardwoods. CIFOR and Royal Botanical Garden Eidinburgh. 275 pp.
  4. Aldrianto, P., 2002. Dipterocarpaceae: Forest Fire and Forest Recovery. Thesis Wageningen University, The Netherlands. 214 pp
  5. Meijer, W. and Wood, G.H.S., 1964. Dipterocarps of Sabah. Pp. 110-112. Sabah Forest Record No. 5. Forest Departement Sabah. Sandakan. 344.pp
  6. Yasman, I., 1995. Dipterocarpaceae: Tree-Mycorrhizae-Seedling connection. PhD thesis, Wageningen Agriculture University, the Netherlands. 193 pp
  7. Omon, R.M., 2002. Dipterocarpaceae: Shorea leprosula Miq. Cuttings, Mycorrhizae and Nutrients. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, the Netherlands. 144 pp
  8. Aldrianto, P., 2002. Dipterocarpaceae: Forest Fire and Forest Recovery. Thesis Wageningen University, The Netherlands. 214 pp
  9. Ishak Yassir dan Yuniar Mytikauji. 2008. Pengaruh Penyiapan Lahan Terhadap Pertumbuhan Shorea Leprosula Miq., dan Shorea balangeran (Korth) Burck pada Lahan alang-alang di Samboja, Kalimantan Timur (Effect of land preparation on the growth of Shorea leprosula Miq., and Shorea balangeran (Korth) Burck on alang-alang areas in Samboja - East Kalimantan). Jurnal Penelitian Dipterokarpa. Balai Besar Diptercarpaceae Samarinda. Vol.I No. 1
  10. Ashton, P.S., 1982. Diptrocarpaceae. In: Flora Malesiana Series I (sec. Mutica) Vol. 9 (2), 540-541
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