Intsia bijuga | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Genus: | Intsia |
Species: | I. bijuga |
Binomial name | |
Intsia bijuga | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Intsia bijuga, commonly known as Borneo teak, Johnstone River teak, Kwila, Moluccan ironwood, Pacific teak, scrub mahogany and vesi, [3] [4] [5] is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to the Indo-Pacific. It ranges from Tanzania and Madagascar east through India and Queensland, Australia, Papua New Guinea to the Pacific islands of Fiji and Samoa. [3] [4] [6] It grows to around 50 metres (160 feet) tall with a highly buttressed trunk. It inhabits mangrove forests. Intsia bijuga differ from Intsia palembanica in the number of leaflets that make up their compound leaves. [7]
The tree has a variety of common names including ipil and kwila. [8]
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The bark and leaves of the ipil are used in traditional medicines. The tree's timber, called kwila (taal in the Philippines, merbau in Australia, vengai in Tamil Nadu and South India), is a very durable and termite-resistant wood, making it a highly valued material for flooring and other uses. The wood can also be used to extract a dye. The tree can contain a "gold" fleck that runs through the grain, considered to be attractive by some. Due to extensive logging of the tree, it is endangered in many places in Southeast Asia, and almost extinct in some. [9] Extensive amounts were purchased for the venue of the 2008 Summer Olympics in China, which is the largest importer of the wood. [10] The wood is used for flooring in U.S. and European markets where it is commonly sold under different names. Both licensed and unlicensed mills harvest the wood.
According to Greenpeace large amounts of ipil timber sourced from illegal logging is being imported into China where there are lax import rules. Greenpeace are targeting users in Western countries in order to halt the trade in ipil wood. Greenpeace claims that at the current rate of logging the tree will be wiped out within 35 years. [10]
In New Zealand, where the ipil wood is known as kwila, attempts have been made to stop it from being imported. In 2008 retailers were divided in whether the sale of kwila should be banned. Jim Anderton, who was the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry at that time, did not support a ban and instead he left it up to consumer choice. [11]
Intsia bijuga, locally known as ifit, is the official tree of the United States territory of Guam. No longer abundant since World War II, it is illegal on Guam to cut live ifit trees. It remains the most popular wood for local carvers. [12]
Pilidiostigma is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. All species occur in Australia and one, P. papuanum, also occurs in Papua New Guinea. They are not generally known to horticulture. The species P. sessile is rare.
Harpullia is a genus of about 27 species of small to medium-sized rainforest trees from the family Sapindaceae. They have a wide distribution ranging from India eastwards through Malesia, Papuasia and Australasia to the Pacific Islands. They grow naturally usually in or on the margins of rainforests or associated vegetation.
Jagera is a genus of 4 species of forest trees known to science, constituting part of the plant family Sapindaceae.
Allosyncarpia ternata, commonly known as an-binik, is a species of rainforest trees constituting part of the botanical family Myrtaceae and included in the eucalypts group. The only species in its genus, it was described in 1981 by Stanley Blake of the Queensland Herbarium. They grow naturally into large, spreading, shady trees, and are endemic to the Northern Territory of Australia. They grow in sandstone gorges along creeks emerging from the Arnhem Land plateau.
Storckiella is a genus of four recognised species of trees, of the plant family Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Dialioideae. They grow naturally in New Caledonia, Fiji and Australia.
Pseuduvaria is a genus of the plant family Annonaceae and tribe Miliuseae: with a native range is Tropical Asia.
Wendlandia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is found in northeastern tropical Africa, and from tropical and subtropical Asia to Queensland.
Diospyros humilis, commonly named Queensland ebony, is a small eastern Australian tree found throughout Queensland and extending into Northern New South Wales and the Northern Territory. The plant is most commonly found in coastal and semi-arid zones in vine scrubs, brigalow woodlands and other locales with infrequent fire.
Cryptocarya onoprienkoana, commonly known as the rose maple, is a species of rainforest tree of northeastern Australia.
Archidendron lucyi is a small tree species in the legume family (Fabaceae). The native range extends from North Eastern Australia, Eastern Malesia to the Solomon Islands. A. lucyi grows in the understorey of lowland rainforest.
Storckiella australiensis is a species of large rainforest legume trees up to 35 m (115 ft) tall, constituting part of the plant family Fabaceae. It has the common name white bean.
Hollandaea is a small genus of plants in the family Proteaceae containing four species of Australian rainforest trees. All four species are endemic to restricted areas of the Wet Tropics of northeast Queensland.
Mischarytera is a genus of rainforest trees, constituting part of the plant family Sapindaceae. Four species are known to science as of December 2013, found growing naturally in eastern Queensland, Australia, and in New Guinea. Formerly until 1995, they had names within the genus Arytera, subgenus Mischarytera.
Sarcotoechia is a genus of tropical rainforest trees, constituting part of the plant family Sapindaceae.
Synima is a genus of tropical rainforest trees, constituting part of the plant family Sapindaceae.
Cnesmocarpon is a genus of 4 species of rainforest trees known to science, constituting part of the plant family Sapindaceae.
Peripentadenia is a genus of two species of large trees from the family Elaeocarpaceae endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia. Sometimes they have the common name quandong.
Licuala ramsayi, commonly known as the Queensland fan palm or Australian fan palm, is a species of tree in the palm family Arecaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia. Two varieties are recognised: Licuala ramsayi var. ramsayi, and Licuala ramsayi var. tuckeri. It is the only species of the genus Licuala present in Australia.
Pipturus argenteus, known as false stinger, native mulberry, white mulberry, white nettle, amahatyan (Chamorro), and ghasooso (Carolinian), is a small tree native to tropical Asia, northern and eastern Australia and the Pacific.
Intsia palembanica is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. Common names include Borneo teak, Malacca teak, merbau and Moluccan ironwood. It is native to tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia and the islands of the southwest Pacific. Intsia palembanica differs from Intsia bijuga in the number of leaflets that make up the compound leaves.
Intsia bijuga and Intsia palembanica differ mainly in the number of leaflets that make up their compound leaves. Both are native to tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia and the islands of the southwest Pacific.