Intsia palembanica Miq., Fl. Ind. Bat., Suppl. 107 (1860)

Synonyms
Afzelia bakeri Prain
Afzelia palembanica (Miq.) Baker
Intsia bakeri (Prain) Prain
Intsia plurijuga Harms

Diagnostics
A medium-sized or large tree up to 50 m tall, bole branchless for up to 22 m and up to 150 cm in diameter; leaves with (3-)4(-7) pairs of leaflets, leaflets thickly leathery and glossy with a rounded or broadly cuneate base and a blunt to emarginate apex, 8-13.5 cm x 4-10.5 cm; flowers pale yellowish. Pods oblong, rarely obcordate, straight or falcate, flattened, glabrous, dehiscent, 2-valved (valves leathery or slightly woody), often 3-(or more-)seeded.

Description
Tree up to 45 m (rarely more) high and 4 m (once recorded) in diam.; buttresses up to 7 m high, extending outwards 6 m, 30 cm thick. Leaves 4-jugate, rarely associated with some 2-, 3-, or 5-jugate; petiole and rachis (3.5-)9.5-17.5(-26) cm, both puberulous, glabrescent. Leaflets ovate, elliptic, sometimes broad-ovate or -elliptic, or suborbicular, rarely obovate or lanceolate, (3-)10-13.5(-18.5) by (3-)5-7.5(-10.5) cm; apex obtuse or rounded, sometimes slightly notched, (shortly) acuminate; base obtuse, rounded, cuneate, rarely slightly truncate or subcordate, often somewhat asymmetric; nerves 6-10 per side; petiolules 2-5 mm. Inflorescences up to c. 10 cm long, pubescent, glabrescent; pedicels 3-12 mm. Hypanthium 3-4 mm long. Calyx lobes (broadly) elliptic, ovate, or slightly obovate, 6-8(-12) by 3-6.5(-8) mm. Petal: limb 3-6(-10) by 3-6.5(-8) mm; claw 2-5 mm long. Fertile stamens: filaments 2-4 cm; anthers c. 3 mm long; staminodes 4-10 mm. Ovary 5-6 mm long; style 2-3.5 cm. Pods 15-19 (-40) by 5.5-7(-9) cm. Seeds 3-4.5 by 1.5-3 cm, 0.5-1.2 cm thick. [from Flora Malesiana]

Ecology
Widespread, in coastal regions, edges of seasonal swamps, on inundated lands, locally common to very common, in lowland primary or older secondary forests, sometimes on sandstone and limestone hills, from sea level up to 1000 m altitude.

Distribution
From India and Indochina to New Guinea, but apprently absent from Java.

Uses
The main source of merbau timber. Young seeds are sometimes eaten. A dye is obtained from the bark and wood. Bark and leaves are used medicinally.

Local names
Indonesia: ipi, ipil (general), maharan (Kalimantan).
Malaysia: anglai, alai (Peninsular).
Papua New Guinea: kwila.
Philippines: ipil (general).
Thailand: lumpho, mue-ba (peninsular), salumpho (south-eastern).