Tree of the month (part1): White Lauan

CEBU, Philippines - White lauan is a large tree reaching up to 50 meters high and 182 centimeters in diameter and a clear length of 15 to 20 meters. Old trees are strongly buttressed.

The crown is flat, irregular, and open. The leaves are simple, alternate, and ovate in shape, acuminate at the apex, rounded at the base, and smooth. Secondary nerves have six pairs that are prominent and further apart, a characteristic that distinguishes it from other species. The blade is 10 to 14.5 centimeters long.

Flower buds are seven millimeters long, four millimeters wide, ovoid, and lanceolate. The sepals are ovate and obtuse. The outer three sepals are somewhat larger, with petals broadly oblong and elliptic.

The fruit (nut) is enclosed by two long (up to 13 centimeters) wings, a medium-sized wing (about eight centimeters), and two small (about four centimeters) wings. The nuts in the healthy mature seeds are elongated and are about two to four centimeters long. Wings at the base are contorted around the nut.

Distribution

White lauan is endemic to the Philippines. It is a common and widely distributed species of the dipterocarpaceae in the country, including in Babuyan Island and in many provinces in Luzon from Cagayan to Sorsogon, Polillo, Marinduque, and in Masbate; Cebu; Samar; Leyte; Negros; Sibuyan; Palawan; and Basilan in lowland forests.

Method of Propagation

The species is propagated by seeds only.

Contemporary uses

The wood is used for general construction furniture and cabinet making, boat planking, mining timbers, and papermaking. It is also used to make boxes, crates, utensils, and veneer plywood.

Traditional uses

Bark extracts obtained by boiling is used to cure cough, reduce body temperature in fever, and heal wounds. Wood extract inhibits growth of tumor.

How to plant your white lauan seedling

Clear the area where you want to plant your seedling with unwanted weeds and debris. Make sure that a one-meter radius is kept free from other vegetation. Dig a plant hole with dimensions of at least 20 cm x 20 cm x 20 cm. Plant the seedling at proper depth. Root collar should be at level with or a little below the ground surface with the seedling oriented upward. Fill the hole with top or garden soil and press soil firmly around the base of the seedling. In plantation-making, seedlings should maintain a two-meter distance between seedlings if planted in a row of a three-meter distance from one strip to the next strip.

How to take care of your white lauan seedling

Remove grass and other unwanted vegetation and cultivate the soil around the base of the seedling (50 cm radius) once in every quarter for two to three years. Place mulch around the base of the seedling (maintaining the 50 cm radius and using cut grass, leaves, and other suitable materials as mulch base). Prune the branches at most 50 percent of the crown depth, preferably during dry season, and ensure that when pruning, you do not injure the bark. Remove infected or infested vegetation nearby to stop plant diseases from spreading and contaminating your seedling. Monitor regularly the growth of the seedling for presence of pests and diseases.

Data about native tree species are featured by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.  For  comments  and  suggestions, e-mail [email protected].