Bhesa paniculata Arn., Edinb. New Phil. J. 16 (1834)

Synonyms
Kurrimia luzonica Vidal
Kurrimia minor Ridl.
Kurrimia paniculata Wall.
Pyrospermum calophyllum Miq.
Schmidelia conferta Blanco

Description
Medium-sized tree to 65 m tall, 79 cm diameter; bole often fluted at base. Bark grey-brown, smooth to cracking; inner bark orange-yellow. Sapwood pale white. Twigs pale brown to dark brown, 5-10 mm thick, with prominent stipular and leaf scars. Stipules lanceolate, c. 3 cm long. Leaves elliptic to oblong, rarely obovate, 5.5-27 x 2.2-13 cm; base cuneate or rounded, apex pointed or blunt; midrib flattened or raised above; lateral veins 5-20 pairs, prominently raised below, visible above; intercostal veins scalariform, very close, faint above, distinct beneath; petioles 1-9.5 cm long, strongly swollen at both ends. Inflorescences panicles, 10-37 cm long or racemes to 20 cm long, from axils of upper leaves. Flowers greenish yellow or dark purplish red, pedicels 2-3 mm long; calyx-lobes hairy outside; disc deeply 5-lobed; petals oblong or ovate, hairy inside; stamens 1.5-2 mm long, anthers triangular; ovary ellipsoid, styles free, about half as long as ovary. Fruits 2- lobed, red when fresh, drying dark brown, 1-2 cm long, with the biggest lobe c. 0.5 cm wide. Seeds 2-4, more than half covered with pink aril; cotyledons leafy.

Ecology
In undisturbed forests up to 2000 m altitude. Usually in (peat)-swamps, along rivers or alluvial sites, but also found on hillsides and ridges in mixed dipterocarp forest or keranga forest. On clayey to sandy soils.

Uses
Timber is used for house building. The fruits (aril) are eaten.

Distribution
Southern India, Sri Lanka, Birma, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, the Philippines.

Local names
Borneo: Asam pau, Biku-biku (Sabah), Duhat burung, Kayu minyak, Medang kuning, Pangil-pangil, Rarasan tatahon, Rengas, Resak buntung, Ruwas, Sampaka, Sanggam, Sarunai (Brunei), Semita, Simun (Iban), Sulang sulang.