Dipterocarpaceae Temporal range:
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Dipterocarpus retusus | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malvales |
Family: | Dipterocarpaceae Blume (1825)[2] |
Genera | |
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 16 genera and about 695 known species[3] of mainly lowland tropical forest trees. Their distribution is pantropical, from northern South America to Africa, the Seychelles, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines.[4][5] The greatest diversity of Dipterocarpaceae occurs in Borneo.[6]
The largest genera are Shorea (196 species), Hopea (104 species), Dipterocarpus (70 species), and Vatica (65 species).[7] Many are large forest-emergent species, typically reaching heights of 40–70 m, some even over 80 m (in the genera Dryobalanops,[7] Hopea[8] and Shorea),[8] with the tallest known living specimen (Shorea faguetiana) 93.0 m tall.[8] Name Menara, or tower in Malaysian, this specimen is a yellow meranti tree. It grows in Danum Valley in Sabah.[9]
The species of this family are of major importance in the timber trade. Some species are now endangered as a result of overcutting, extensive illegal logging, and habitat conversion. They provide valuable woods, aromatic essential oils, balsam, and resins, and are a source for plywood.