''Shorea obtusa'', the Siamese sal, is a species of hardwood tree in the family

Dipterocarpaceae Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 16 genera and about 695 known species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus ''Dipterocarpus'', is derived from Greek (''di'' = two, ''pteron'' = wing and ''karpos'' = fru ...

, native to Southeast Asia.

Distribution and habitat

''Shorea obtusa'' is native to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It grows in relatively dry areas, often sharing the same habitat with ''

Dipterocarpus obtusifolius ''Dipterocarpus obtusifolius'' is a common species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae found throughout Southeast Asia, including Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.DY PHON Pauline, 2000, ''Plants Used In Cambodia'' ...

'', as well as oaks '' Quercus kerrii'', ''

Quercus kingiana An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ...

'', and pines, up to altitude in Thailand. Another description of the habitat is that it grows in the clear forests at .DY PHON Pauline, 2000, Plants Used In Cambodia, self-published, printed by Imprimerie Olympic,

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...

Description

''Shorea obtusa'' is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

tropical tree, growing tall. It flowers from January to July; the distinctive yellow flowers droop in clusters, with long narrow petals. It grows stunted in

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

Uses

As well as an export timber source, the wood is graded as first (highest) category in Cambodia. It is a very hard timber and is used to make columns, bridges, sleepers, and for other various construction purposes. Exposed in the open, it may last 10–15 years, though if indoors it may last 50–60 years. The resin, from the trunk, is used to make torches, while the bark is part of a

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

remedy. The tree is the most preferred source of firewood in some areas of Kompong Chhnang Province, Cambodia.

Conservation

''Shorea obtusa'' has been assessed as

Near Threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...

on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

. The species is threatened by logging for timber and land conversion for agriculture. The prior assessment in 1998 had assessed the species as

Least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5415652 obtusa Trees of Indo-China Taxonomy articles created by Polbot