STANDARD NAME KELUMPANG (Light Hardwood) FAMILY Sterculiaceae BOTANICAL NAME Sterculia spp. DISTRIBUTION Occurs mainly in the lowland forests, but are sometimes found on the coast or in swamp forests. GENERAL DESCRIPTION The sapwood is lighter in colour and is not sharply differentiated from the heartwood, which is straw coloured to light brown.

Grain is straight to shallowly interlocked.

Texture is rather coarse and uneven due to the presence of large rays.

Vessels are medium-sized to moderately large, fairly numerous, solitary and in radial groups of two to three with the solitary vessels predominating. Tyloses are scarce.

Wood parenchyma is abundant and visible to the naked eye. Paratracheal parenchyma appears as borders around the vessels and occasionally aliform and locally confluent. Apotracheal parenchyma appears as bands which are irregularly spaced.

Rays are of two distinct sizes; the larger rays being very broad and conspicuous, the smaller rays are fine and visible only with a hand lens.

USES
Used for light construction, packing cases, veneer, plywood and concrete shuttering.

ENGLISH VERSION ONLY

Last Updated: 19 April 2020