Central Bicol State University of Agriculture

College of Engineering and Food Science

Department of Agricultural Engineering

ALGONES, WILFREDO B. JANUARY 22, 2019

BSAEN 5M

AEN 153
Laboratory Exercise 1
Wood Sources, and Commercial and Indigenous Philippine Tree
Species

I. INTRODUCTION
Wood has been used and adapted by humans since the
earliest recognition that they could make use of the
materials they found around them. As they used it to meet
a varying array of human needs, in peace and in war, in
farming and in industry, people gradually came to
understand something of the unique nature of wood. Its
properties were first understood by experience, more
recently by systematic research and refined observation.
Wood is still essential to human life, but has evolved
over the ages from a simple, readily available natural
material to a modern industrial and engineering material,
with a unique ability to contribute to human life both as
a material for use and as a key element in the natural
world of the forest.

II.

Table 1. Tree Descriptors for Gmelina arborea (Yemane).

Tree species Gmelina arborea
Family Verbenaceae
Common name/s Yemane
Distribution
Leaves are elliptic or ovate, 4 to
9 centimeters long, 2 to 6
centimeters wide, blunt or slightly
pointed at both ends, wooly-felted
Leaves
or white-hoary on the lower
surface, with minute green glands
at the base, with entire or
coarsely toothed margins.
Flowers are about 3.5 centimeters
long, yellow, borne in terminal
Flowers
racemes up to 7.5 centimeters long,
with rather large bracts.
Height range, m 3 - 30 metres
Trunk size range,
around 50cm
cm

1 of 6
 Yemane can be propagated be seeds
Propagation
and cuttings.
The tree is a light demander,
Light preference
although it can stand some shade.
Growth Fast growing tree
Other uses other
Medicinal/Ornamental/Edible Uses
than wood
Ecological class Indigenous

Table 2. Tree Descriptors for Swietenia macrophylla (Mahogany).

Tree species Swietenia macrophylla
Family Meliaceae

Common name/s Mahogany

(in the country and in the forest
Distribution
floor)
Leaves paripinnate, up to 60 cm
long; leaflets 6-16, ovate,
lanceolate, acuminate, slightly
Leaves oblique, light green or reddish
when young, dark green and shining
when mature, up to 20 cm long, with
8-12 pale, secondary nerves.
Flowers 8 mm across, in narrow
supra-axillary panicles about 8-13
Flowers cm long and fragrant; petals
greenish-white, oblong, 4 mm long,
rigidly pointed
Height range, m reaching a height of 30-40 m
Trunk size range,
reaches 125 cm
cm
Propagation Propagation is by seed
The tree is a light demander,
Light preference
although it can stand some shade.
Growth relatively fast growth
Other uses other
Medicinal/Ornamental
than wood
Ecological class Indigenous

2 of 6
Table 2.Tree Descriptors for Paraserianthes falcataria(Falcata).
Tree species Paraserianthes falcataria
Family Leguminosae

Common name/s Falcata

(in the country and in the forest
Distribution
floor)
Leaves alternate, bipinnately
compound, 23-30 cm long, with rusty
pressed hairs and slender angled
axis bearing gland above base;
leaflets paired, 15-20 pairs on
Leaves
each axis, stalkless, small,
oblong, 6-12 mm long, 3- 5 mm wide,
short-pointed at the tip, topside
dull green and hairless, underside
paler with fine hair
Flowers are bisexual, 12 mm long,
regular pentamerous, subtended to
bracts; calyx hairy, valvate,
Flowers gamosepalous, tubular to cup or
bell shaped; corolla sericeous all
over, gamopetalous, funnel or bell
shaped, cream to yellowish.
Height range, m up to 40 m tall
Trunk size range, 100 cm or sometimes more in
cm diameter
Propagation Propagation is by seed
Light preference Preferred light
P. falcataria grows so fast that it
Growth is sometimes called the ‘miracle
tree’
Other uses other
Fuel/ Fibre/ Ornamental
than wood

3 of 6
 Ecological class Indigenous

Table 3. Tree Descriptors for Dipterocarpus kerrii (Malapanau).

Tree species Dipterocarpus kerrii
Family Dipterocarpaceae
Common name/s Malapanau
(in the country and in the forest
Distribution
floor)
Leaves broadly elliptical, 8-13 cm
× 3.3-7 cm, base cuneate, acumen up
to 5 mm long, secondary veins (7-
Leaves )9-11 pairs, ascending, glabrous,
petiole 2-3 cm long, stipules
linear-lanceolate, subacute, inside
silky tomentose.
Flowers large, actinomorphic,
bisexual, scented, nodding; calyx
persistent, 5-merous, united round
Flowers the ovary into a tube, but not
fused to it, with valvate lobes,
two of them long, oblong to
spatulate.
Height range, m up to 40 m tall
Trunk size range,
up to 150 cm in diameter
cm
Propagation Propagation is by seed
semi-shade (light woodland) or no
Light preference
shade
Growth medium rate growth
Other uses other Medicinal
than wood
Ecological class Indigenous

4 of 6
Table 4. Tree Descriptors for Palaquium luzoniense (Nato).
Tree species Palaquium luzoniense
Family Sapotaceae
Common name/s Nato
It has a native distribution to the
Philippines. According to the IUCN
Red List the threat status of Nato
Distribution is vulnerable. P. luzoniense
are fairly common in lowland
forest, but the latter may ascend
up to 1300 m altitude.
Leaves clustered at tip of twigs,
obovate, oblong or elliptical, 11-
Leaves 20 cm × 2-10 cm, with transverse to
reticulate tertiary venation,
minutely hairy beneath.
Flowers yellowish-green or whitish,
in 1-4-flowered clusters; pedicel
slender, 20-65 mm long. Fruit
Flowers
ellipsoidal, 3.5-4 cm long,
initially minutely hairy but
glabrescent, dull green.
Height range, m up to 25 m tall,
Trunk size range, up to 50 cm in diameter, but
cm sometimes attaining 120 cm
Propagation Propagation is by seed
semi-shade (light woodland) or no
Light preference
shade
Growth medium rate growth
Gutta-percha, the coagulated latex
from the bark or leaves of several
Sapotaceae species including
Palaquium, has been used
Other uses other extensively for submarine and
than wood underground cables due to its non-
conductivity for electricity and
heat, and imperviousness to water.
It has also been used for medical
and chemical instruments, in

5 of 6

Ecological class
dentistry, transmission belts,
acid-resistant receptacles, as
adhesives, , waterproofing agents
and as an ingredient of chewing
gum.
Indigenous

Wood has been used and adapted by humans since the earliest recognition that they could make
use of the materials they found around them. As they used it to meet a varying array of human
needs, in peace and in war, in farming and in industry, people gradually came to understand
something of the unique nature of wood. Its properties were first understood by experience,
more recently by systematic research and refined observation. Wood is still essential to human
life, but has evolved over the ages from a simple, readily available natural material to a modern
industrial and engineering material, with a unique ability to contribute to human life both as a
material for use and as a key element in the natural world of the forest.

References
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Gmelina+arborea
https://ep.franphil.com/growing-gmelina-yemane-and-its-benefits-part-1-description/
http://www.stuartxchange.org/Talungud.html
http://old.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Swietenia_macrophylla.PDF
http://old.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Paraserianthes_falcataria.PDF
https://ngp.denr.gov.ph/index.php/12-arb/1181-arb-nato

6 of 6