INDOMALAYAN WOODS. 511 



yellowish-white, soft and light. Pores arranged in a fairly regular reticu- 

 late pattern, and resin-duels almost entirely absent, Easily worked; 

 used for planks, etc. 



PALOSAPIS OR MAYAPIS. Plate XXV II J, flg. 74. 



This is produced by species of Anisoptera in the Philippines. It 

 seems to be the same as the mersawa of the Federated Malay States 

 and the mirauan of Sarawak. Wood yellowish-white; pith-rays of two 

 sorts, moderately broad and fine. Pores of medium size. Resin-ducts 

 rather distinct. Wood of young trees coarse-grained and brittle, rather 

 difficult to work. Wood from well-grown trees is of very good quality 

 and seems to be fairly durable. Used for planks, crossbeams, etc. 



Card. 66; Phil. Woods 389. 



WHITE LAI AN. Plate XXVIII, fig. 75. 



This is produced in the Philippines by Parashorea plicata Brandis and 

 Pentacme contort* (Vid.) Merr. & Rolfe. It occurs in British North 

 Borneo under the name of gagil and urat mata and in the Straits Set- 

 tlements as a poor grade of seriah. It is possible that some species of 

 Shorea and Hopea also produce wood which is sold under this name. 

 Wood grayish-white or brownish-gray ; soft and light, not durable. Pith- 

 raye of two kinds, moderately broad and fine. Eesin-ducts numerous, 

 often forming incomplete concentric lines, falsely resembling seasonal 

 rings. Wood used for various forms of light or temporary construction. 



Phil. Woods 380; Card. 52. 



ALMON. 



This is a good grade of lauan, with a pinkish or reddish color. It is 

 often exactly the equivalent of some grades of meranli and seriah. It is 

 probably produced by different species of Shorea and possibly also Ho pea. 

 It is a very good wood for light construction and interior finish. The 

 structure of this wood is very much the same as that of tanguile, but 

 it is usually much softer and lighter in color than that wood. In some 

 parts of Luzon this wood is known as mayapis. 



The soft red-wooded dipterocarps are very common, but they are 

 not vel very clearly understood. Tanguile, red lauan ami almon are 

 frequently confused. The best qualities of tanguile are conspicuously 

 darker in color and harder than the other two woods, and red lauan is 

 usually distinctly coarser grained than either almon or tanguile, but there 

 are numerous intermediate grades of these woods which may belong to any 

 one of the three. 



In spite of our present fragmentary knowledge of the group, it has 

 seemed entirely feasible to prepare the following key to the commercial 

 dipterocarps. 



