Terminalia subspathulata King, J. As. Soc. Beng. 66, 2 (1897)

Latin for 'spathula shaped'.

Synonyms
Terminalia bialata (non Kurz) K. & V.

Diagnostics
Emergent tree up to 69 m tall and 198 cm dbh. Leaves alternate, simple, penni-veined. Flowers ca. 2.5 mm in diameter, green-yellowish, placed in racemes. Fruits ca. 50 mm wide, green-yellowish, wind dispersed, winged nut (flattened on both sides of a centrally placed seed).

Description
A large tree up to 45(-69) m, with tall spreading branches. Young branchlets at first rufous appressed-pubescent soon becoming glabrous. Leaves spirally arranged and somewhat crowded towards the ends of the twigs, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, glossy green above, glaucous underneath, glabrous, oblanceolate or subspathulate, 4-14 by 1.5-5 cm, rounded and shortly acuminate, acute or obtuse at the apex, narrowly cuneate at the base; nerves 8-10 pairs, reticulation rather prominent; petiole glabrous 2-3.5(-5) cm, glands absent or inconspicuous. Flowers greenish or yellow, buds globular, sessile, in axillary spikes 6-20 cm long, rhachis densely rufous-appressed pubescent. Bracts absent or very early caducous. Lower receptacle (ovary) 2 mm long, rufo-sericeous; upper receptacle shallow-cupuliform, sericeous, 1 by 2 mm. Calyx-lobes deltoid 0.8 mm long, densely appressed-pubescent. Filaments glabrous, 2.5 mm; anthers 0.4 mm long. Disk barbate. Style 3 mm, pilosulose. Fruit broadly 2-winged, light yellow, pubescent when very young but soon becoming glabrous, overall dimensions 2-3.3 by 3.5-5.5 cm, wings usually confluent at apex and base so that the fruit is circumalate. [from Flora Malesiana]

Ecology
In mixed dipterocarp forests up to 1400 m altitude. Both on alluvial (swamp) and dry places (hillsides), on sandy to clayey soils, also on limestone.

Distribution
Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo.

Local names
Borneo: Kayu sahang, Talisai.
Peninsular Malaysia: Jelawai, pelawei, medaiig salak.