Xanthophyllum rufum A.W.Bennett, Fl. Br. India 1 (1874)

Latin for 'reddish-brown'.

Synonyms
Banisterodes rufum (A.W.Bennett) O.K.
Xanthophyllum flavum Ridl.
Xanthophyllum heteropleurum Chodat

Description
Mid-canopy tree up to 40 m tall and 60 cm dbh. Stipules absent. Leaves alternate, simple, penni-veined, hairy below. Flowers ca. 20 mm diameter, yellow-reddish, placed in panicles. Fruits ca. 18 mm diameter, greenish-brown, drupes. Seeds with aril.

Ecology
In undisturbed to slightly disturbed (open) mixed dipterocarp and keranga forests up to 300 m altitude. On hillsides and ridges with sandy to clay soils, but also on limestone. In secondary forests usually present as a pre-disturbance remnant, or planted.

Uses
The wood is locally used. The leaves, when spread over agricultural fields, deter pests. The fruits are edible.

Distribution
Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo (throughout the island).

Local names
Borneo: Kayu ampang, Medang, Nyalin, Sembayang.