Engelhardia rigida Blume

Tree 15—30(—47) m, sometimes with buttresses up to 3 m high and 2 m out; the bark once reported decorticating in small flakes. Leaf rachis vigorous, blackish, (1½-)3-6(-21) cm, mostly glabrous or scaly, rarely puberulous, (1-)2—3(-5)-jugate; leaflets rather thick-coriaceous, sessile to 5 mm stalked, blade 2.25-3.5(-4) times as long as wide, widest at the middle or rarely above, 5.5-10.5(-l6.5) by 2.5-4(-7.5) cm; base acutish, top subacuminate, tip acute; margin entire (in New Guinea exceptionally crenate towards the top), surfaces more or less densely set with golden yellow glandular-scales, especially underneath, otherwise glabrous or rarely hairy on the nerves. Dioecious. Catkins lateral on leafy and on slightly older twigs, rarely serial in twos. Male catkins solitary or 2-3 on a 0.5-1 cm long stalk, 1.5-5 cm long, rachis scaly and/or hairy. Bract 2-4 mm, scaly, lobes irregular, narrow. Perianth 4-lobed, the lobes resembling those of the bract, to completely reduced. Stamens (3-)4-6(-7), the anthers equal or unequal, (0.5-)1 mm, more or less hispid, connective not or shortly protruding; if there is a single proximal stamen, this has sometimes a filament up to 1 mm, the others being sessile. Fruiting catkins (6-)10-15(-22) cm including a peduncle 2-3 (-7) cm; peduncle sub terete, in the basal half with 2 scars; rachis rather slender, more or less densely scaly and/or puberulous. Nut (sub)sessile, ± 3 mm diam., hispid, wing (2-)2.5-3(-6) cm long with the nut, 3-8 mm wide; perianth lobes sometimes very unequal, one or both of the median lobes sometimes attaining half the length of the wing; style about as long as the stigmas, the whole 2-4 mm long.

Dense, primary, mixed dipterocarp forest, growing on leached yellow, sandy and untramafic soils; at elevations from sea level to 2,000 metres, occasionally to 2,500 metres.

Uses. The wood is used for canoes, native buildings, etc.

Can be grown by seedlings.