Casatanopsis lucida (Nees) Soepadmo, Reinwardtia 7: 394 (1968)

Synonyms
Alseodaphne lucida Nees
Castanopsis hullettii King ex Hook.f.
Laurus lucida Wall.

Diagnostics
Tree with buttresses. Twigs with conspicuous lenticels. Stipules minute. Petioles distinctly swollen at base, quite long (1.5-3.5 cm). Leaves large, up to 20 by 10 cm (on sterile shoots up to 38 by 18 cm), with many secondary veins (15-20), widest point at near middle of leaf. Fruits subsessile, cupules completely covering the fruits, top flattened, splitting in 3-4 parts, thick woody with 3-4 prominent transverse ridges with short sharp spines, containing 2-4 nuts.

Description
Tree, 12-20 m by 40-60 cm diameter; buttresses up to 1.6 m tall, 1.2 m out, straight; bark pale-brown, fissured. Innovations with dense stellate tomentum. Branchlets sturdy, initially dull dark-coloured, later greyish, with many lenticels; terminal bud ovoid-globose, 3-6 by 2-4 mm, scales ovate-acute, 3-5 by 2-3 mm. Stipules deltoid, minute. Leaves thick-coriaceous, (10-)16-20 by (3.5-)8-10 cm (index 1.7-3), widest about the middle, on sterile basal shoots to 38 by 18 cm; above glabrous, glossy sometimes dull, beneath with dense, brownish, stellate scale-like tomentum (magnification 50!); base rounded to attenuateacute, apex rounded to acutish, sometimes 0.5-l cm acuminate; midrib prominent on both sides; nerves 15-20 pairs, parallel, ascending, arcuating towards the margin, at an angle of (45-)70-80(-90) degrees, prominent beneath, flat to subprominent above; reticulation fine, obscure on both surfaces; petiole 1.5-3.5 cm, adaxially flat. Male rachis 10-20 cm, bracts ovate-acute; male flowers in clusters of 3-7, perianth deeply 6-lobed, lobes rounded- acute, 1 by 1 mm, hairy outside; stamens 12, filaments 3.5-4 mm, glabrous, anthers 0.25 mm long; pistillode roundish, 1-1.5 mm diameter, woolly pubescent. Female rachis 10 cm; female flowers in clusters of 3(-4-5); perianth deeply 6-lobed, lobes acute, 0.5 cm long, hairy outside; staminodes 12, rudimentary; styles 3, conical, 0.5-l mm. Young cupule sessile, subglobose, the future spines scalelike, densely set all over the surface, acroscopical. Ripe cupule subsessile, depressed-subglobose or sometimes constricted at base and top, 3-4-lobed, 3.5-4 cm through, thick, woody, covered with 3-4 prominent, transverse, curved ridges bearing sharp short spines; dehiscence into 3-4 equal segments. Fruits 2-4 in each cupule, complanate-subglobose, 1.5-2 cm through, shining, smooth, with sparse, adpressed, stellate tomentum; base convex, rugose, glabrous. [from Flora Malesiana]

Uses
The bark yields tannin and the nuts are edible.

Distribution
Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.

Local names