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Rubroshorea platycarpa (F.Heim) P.S.Ashton & J.Heck.

Family Name:	Dipterocarpaceae
Synonyms:	Shorea platycarpa F.Heim, Shorea palustris Ridl.
Common Name:	Meranti Paya

Rubroshorea platycarpa, also known as Meranti Paya, is a critically endangered tree in Singapore. It can reach up to 50 m tall and have a shallowly hemispherical crown as well as a deeply fissured bark. It produces pale-yellow resin and the wood can be used for both light and medium duty construction.

Full Sun

Moderate Water

Native to Singapore

Tree

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments
Species Summary

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants)
Plant Growth Form	Tree
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Plant Shape	Broad / Mushroom / Hemispherical
Maximum Height	50 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia and Borneo
Native Habitat	Terrestrial
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical

Local Conservation Status

Native to Singapore (Critically Endangered (CR))

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form	It is a tree, up to 50 m tall, and 1.2 m diameter. It has large buttresses that can reach up to 4 m tall and shallowly hemispherical crown. The bark is grey to pinkish brown and deeply fissured to crumbly flaky. It produces a pale-yellow resin, called dammar. Young branches are densely covered with brown persistent stiff hairs.
Foliage	The leaves are elliptic-oblong to broadly ovate (9 – 17 cm long and 5.5 – 10 cm wide), thinly leathery and in alternate arrangement. The leaf tip is pointed (up to 1 cm long) while the leaf base is obtuse leaf base. Each leaf has 16 – 20 pairs of lateral veins which are mostly straight and curved near the leaf margin. The midrib is almost flat above and prominent on the underside of the leaf. Young leaves have pale scale-like domatia along the midrib. The petiole is about 1.5 – 2 cm long and densely covered with brown persistent stiff hairs.
Flowers	Inflorescence is about 9 cm long, densely covered with brown persistent stiff hairs and occurs at the terminal ends or leaf axis. Flower have pale yellow petals and 15 stamens with sub-globose anther. The connectival appendage is as long as the anthers and gradually becoming reflexed. Ovary and stylopodium are narrowly ovoid. The style is about the same length as the ovary.

Fruit	Fruit is winged, dry and are borne almost without a stalk (subsessile). Each fruit comprises of three long calyx lobes (up to 6.5 cm long and 1.2 cm wide), two shorter lobes (up to 2 cm long) and one oval-shaped nut (0.8 cm long and 0.6 cm wide). The nut is densely covered with dull yellow-brown hairs.
Habitat	It is found in peat swamp forests.
Similar	Rubroshorea platycarpa is similar to Rubroshorea leprosula (synonym: Shorea leprosula) and differs in terms of the hairs on the underside of the leaf and numbers of lateral veins. On the underside of the mature leaf, R. platycarpa has sparse stiff hairs (scabrid) while R. leprosula has dense soft hairs (pubescent). In addition, R. platycarpa has 16 – 20 pairs of lateral veins while R. leprosula has 12 – 15 pairs.
Associated Fauna	Flowers are pollinated by insects.
Cultivation	It can be propagated by seed.
Etymology	The specific epithet platycarpa is Greek for flattened fruit, perhaps referring to the fruit calyx.
Ethnobotanical Uses	Timber & Products: The timber is used as light or dark red meranti. It is used for both medium or light duty construction such as flooring, furniture, door and window frames, rafters, weatherboarding and boat building.

Landscaping Features

Landscape Uses	Reforestation

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Pollination Method(s)	Biotic (Fauna)
Seed or Spore Dispersal	Abiotic

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun
Water Preference	Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Moderate to Slow

Rootzone Tolerance	Well-Drained Soils, Waterlogged Soils
Propagation Method	Seed

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Leathery

Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Alternate
Foliar Attachment to Stem	Petiolate
Foliar Shape(s)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Entire
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acuminate
Foliar Base	Rounded / Obtuse

Non - Foliar and Storage

Trunk Type (Non Palm)	Woody
Mature Bark Texture	Fissured, Peeling / Flaking / Papery
Stem Type & Modification	Woody

Root Type

Underground

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Bisexual Flowers , Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s)	Cream / Off-White

Flower Grouping	Cluster / Inflorescence
Flower Location	Axillary, Terminal
Flower Symmetry	Radial
Individual Flower Shape	Saucer-shaped
Inflorescence Type	Panicle
Flowering Period	Every Few Years
Flowering Habit	Polycarpic

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Brown
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Indehiscent Dry Fruit , Samara

Seed Quantity Per Fruit

Few (1-5)

References

References	Ashton, P.S. (1982). Dipterocarpaceae. In: van Steenis, C.G.G.J. (ed.) Flora Malesiana, ser.1, vol. 9, part 2, pp. 237–552, 575–600. The Hague/Boston/London: Martinus Nijhoff/Dr. W. Junk Publishers. Ashton, P.S. (2004). Dipterocarpaceae. In: Soepadmo, E., Saw L.G. & Chung, R.C.K. (eds) Tree Flora of Sabah Sarawak, vol. 5, pp. 63–388. Malaysia: Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)/Sabah Forestry Department/Sarawak Forestry Department. Ashton, P.S. & Heckenhauer, J. (2022). Tribe Shoreae (Dipterocarpaceae subfamily Dipterocarpoideae) finally dissected. Kew Bull. 77: 885–903. Keng, H. (1990). The Concise Flora of Singapore: Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Singapore: Singapore University Press.

References

Ashton, P.S. (1982). Dipterocarpaceae. In: van Steenis, C.G.G.J. (ed.) Flora Malesiana, ser.1, vol. 9, part 2, pp. 237–552, 575–600. The Hague/Boston/London: Martinus Nijhoff/Dr. W. Junk Publishers.

Ashton, P.S. (2004). Dipterocarpaceae. In: Soepadmo, E., Saw L.G. & Chung, R.C.K. (eds) Tree Flora of Sabah Sarawak, vol. 5, pp. 63–388. Malaysia: Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)/Sabah Forestry Department/Sarawak Forestry Department.

Ashton, P.S. & Heckenhauer, J. (2022). Tribe Shoreae (Dipterocarpaceae subfamily Dipterocarpoideae) finally dissected. Kew Bull. 77: 885–903.

Keng, H. (1990). The Concise Flora of Singapore: Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Singapore: Singapore University Press.

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Master ID	30414
Species ID	4723
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