41
41 - Merbau - Intsia palembanica Miq. - Fabaceae [1]
*Malaysia’s National Tree* [1]
Listed as a near threatened species by IUCN in 2021 [1]
Other names:
Anglai (Malay), Malacca teak, Borneo Teak (English) [1]
General information:
A deciduous, large-buttressed tree to 50 m tall; common in lowland forests; throughout. It is one of the hardest, heaviest and most attractive timbers of any tree.
Distinguish botanical characteristics:
Leaf – alternate, compound – usually 4 pairs of opposite leaflets – thickly leathery, oval, blunt to truncate apex [3]
Flower – off white [3]
Fruit – dehiscent pod, brown or black (ripen), has flat seeds [3]
Bark – pinkish-grey, shallowly marked with small, thin, roundish scaling pieces [3].
Heartwood – dark brown to reddish [2]
Uses:
Medicinal uses – leaf, root and bark – used for the treatment of urinary infection, rheumatoid arthritis and dysentry [4]
Seed – young seeds are edible [3]
Wood – commercial merbau timber – one of the ironwood species due to its hardness, durability & resistance – for furniture, flooring [2], cabinet making, musical instruments [1]; the wood and bark – source of various brown and yellow dye [3]
Major/bioactive phytochemicals:
Wood – anti acne compounds – P. acnes lipase inhibitors – fustin, ampelopsin, 4’-dehydroxyrobidanol [5]; skin whitener – tyrosinase inhibitor – (-)-robidanol, (+)-epirobidanol, 4’-dehydroxyrobidanol [6].
References:
[1] https://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/39670
[2] https://montco.com.my/what-makes-merbau-unique-malaysias-national-tree/
[3] https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/2/9/2972
[4] Hassan et al., Arch Phar & Pharmacol Res. 2(4)(2019). doi: 10.33552/APPR.2019.02.000541
[5] Batubara et al., (2014). J Wood Sci, 60, 169-174. [6] Darusman et al., (2012). Research Journal of Medicinal Plant 6(8), 615-620
[7] https://identify.plantnet.org/the-plant-list/species/Intsia%20palembanica%20Miq./data
SK & NMH, 2022
