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Mengaris; Tualang; Kayu Ra

Botanical Name: Koompassia Excelsa 

Genus: Koompassia    

Family: Fabaceae    

Native: Kedah, Pahang, Perak, Terengganu, Sabah and Wilayah Persekutuan (Putrajaya)

Descriptions

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Tualang is a medium hardwood with a very strong timber (strength group A). Treated timber is used for heavy construction, namely posts, beams, joists, railway sleepers and power transmission posts. The untreated timber is used for parquet, strip flooring, panelling and heavy-duty furniture. It is the native habitat to the lowland and lower hill dipterocarp of Malaysia primary rainforests.

 

Amazingly, Tualang is amongst the world tallest trees. It may reach more than 80 metres of height that is equivalent to a 30 stories building. The amazing tree has a rich cultural heritage with interesting folk stories. For instance, the vernacular name of Tualang (P.M.) is said to have derived from a combination of two Malay words of ‘tua’ (old) and ’helang’ (hawk).

 

Another Tualang is the only forestry tree that houses honey bees (Apis dorsata). The Aborigines’ folk tale has a belief that Tualang is the house of spirits. It is propagated from seed, stem cutting and air-layering. Tualang prefers a full sun environment with moderate water.

 

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Bibliography:

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  1. Wong, T. M. 1982. A Dictionary of Malaysian Timbers. Revised by Lim, S. C. & Chung, R. C. K. Malayan Forest Records No. 30. Kuala Lumpur: Forest Research Institute Malaysia, 201 pp.

  2. https://www.rainforestjournal.com/the-tualang-tree-or-koompassia-excelsa/. [Accessed: 5.8.19]

  3. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/29496. [Accessed: 5.8.19]

  4. https://belumoutdoor.com/2011/11/30/tualang-tree-koompassia-excelsa/.[Accessed: 7.8.19]

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