Click here to open feedback window. Contribution to an evaluation of tree species using the new CITES Listing Criteria 276 Calophyllum inophyllum    Guttiferae Alexandrian laurel, beach calophyllum, bintangor laut, bitaog, Borneo mahogany, dingkaran, krathing, naowakan, njamplung, palo maria, penaga laut, ponnyet, saraphee naen Distribution Australia, British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago), Brunei, Fiji, India, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea), Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tuvalu, Viet Nam Habitat A widespread tree of sandy beaches near the coast and occasionally inland on sandy soils up to 200m. Population Status and Trends At local levels populations are heavily harvested. Ecology Fruits are dispersed by the sea and by fruit bats. Role of species in the Ecosystem Threats Utilisation Compared to other Calophyllum the timber is more durable and stronger, with a finer grain. It is used for construction work, furniture, cartwheel hubs, musical instruments, canoes and boats. The oil from the seed is used for illumination, soap making and medicinal purposes. The latex and pounded bark also have medicinal uses. Fruit are edible. Trees are planted for shade and ornament. Trade The timber is often traded separately as beach calophyllum. Fiji is recorded as exporting Calophyllum spp. as plywood, veneer and sawnwood in 1995 (ITTO, 1997). In the same year Papua New Guinea recorded the export of 231,000m³ of calophyllum logs, valued at an average price of US$156/m³ and Peninsular Malaysia reported the presence of 16,000m³ of Calophyllum sawnwood in exports, valued at an average price of US$167/m³ (ITTO, 1997). IUCN Conservation category LRlc according to Stevens (1997). Conservation Measures Trees are widely planted both within and outside the natural range, e.g. in West Africa and tropical America, as a source of oil. Forest Management and Silviculture Preliminary data from Peninsular Malaysia indicate that members of the genus may be slow-growing, taking 70 years to attain a diameter of 50cm. References Blaser, Jürgen. et al. 1993. Akon'ny ala. Numeros 12 et 13. Départment Des Eaux et Forêts. 166pp. Erfurth, T. & H. Rusche. 1976. The marketing of tropical wood.  (unpublished). FO: MISC/76/8. ITTO. 1997. Annual review and assessment of the world tropical timber situation. 1996. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). Kessler, Paul J.A., Kade Sidiyasa, Ambriansyah Zainal, & Arifin Zainal. 1995. Checklist of secondary forest trees in East and South Kalimantan, Indonesia. 84pp. Knox, Eric B. 1995. The List of East African Plants (LEAP): An electronic database (Draft). 72pp. Loc, Phan Ke. 1992. Annotations to: Conservation status listing for Philippines dated 6 April 1992. 49pp. Ng, P.K.L. & Y.C. Wee (eds.). 1994. The Singapore Red Data Book. Singapore: The Nature Society. 343pp. Penafiel, S. 1990. Annotation to list of tropical timbers for the Philippines. Phengklai, Chamlong & Sanan Khamsai. 1985. Some non-timber species of Thailand. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 1(15): 108-148. Soerianegara, I. & R.H.M.J. Lemmens (eds.). 1993. Plant Resources of South-East Asia 5(1). Timber trees: Major commercial timbers. Wageningen: Pudoc Scientific Publishers. 610 pp. Stevens, P.F. 1997. Annotations to a listing of draft species summaries for New Guinea for the Conservation and sustainable management of trees project. Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute. 1995. Conservation Status Listing of Plants in Taiwan (Draft). (unpublished). 79pp. Topp, J.M.W. 1988. An annotated check list of the flora of Diego Garcia, British Ocean Territory. Atoll Research Bulletin 313 Whitmore, T.C. 1966. Guide to the forests of the British Solomon Islands. Oxford: Oxford University Press.