Eden

Penang Botanic Gardens Plant Collection

Palaquium gutta (Hook.) Baill. (SAPOTACEAE)

Posted at — Nov 13, 2019
Gutta-Percha, Taban Merah, Taban

Description

Medium-sized evergreen tree to 30 m tall. Leaves 7.5-12.5 cm long, narrowly obovate, golden-coppery below. Flowers c. 1 cm across, white, in axillary clusters. Fruits 15-17 mm long, oblong, brown ripening red.

Ecology

Lowland to hill evergreen forest to 500 m altitude.

Distribution

Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

Uses

The latex was previously tapped from the trees for insulating submarine and underground cables. It has been used to manufacture golf balls. It is also used in medical and chemical instruments and in dentistry. The timber is used for panelling, furniture,