178 RICHMOND. 



BOTANICAL ORIGIN. 



Comparatively little is known regarding the source of the Manila copal 

 of commerce except that it is undoubtedly of vegetable origin and is 

 collected in Malayan regions. So far as the Philippine resin "almaciga" 

 is concerned, it is produced by a large coniferous tree, Agathis alba 

 (Lam.), and Poxworthy 2 has shown that an individual of this species 

 of Agathis will furnish botanical material to fit the description of Agathis 

 dammara Eich. of the Moluccas, Agathis celebica Warb. of the Celebes, 

 Agathis beccarii and A. bomeensis Warb. of Borneo, and Agathis philip- 

 pinensis Warb. of the Philippines, thus combining five of the nine separate 

 species of Agathis proposed by Warburg, and it seems reasonable to 

 assume that a comparison of botanical material of this genus from other 

 Malayan sources would further limit the botanical origin of Manila copal. 



It is thus seen how the prevailing custom of naming a natural product 

 after the various localities where it is collected or after ports of shipment 

 would tend to obscure the fact that the Manila copal of commerce, whether, 

 coming from Manila or elsewhere, has a common botanical origin. 



AGATHIS ALBA ( LAM. ) . 



Botanical description. — The Manila copal tree attains a height of 50 to 60 

 meters and a diameter of 1 to 2 meters. The bark is thick and smooth, the 

 wood is light colored and contains numerous resin cavities. The leaves are oveate- 

 lanceolate to elliptical in shape, 2 to 12 centimeters long and from 1 to 4 centi- 

 meters broad, mostly opposite on the twigs. The cones are often 10 centimeters 

 in diameter. The optimum development of the tree is variously reported at from 

 350 to 1,500 meters above sea level. 



Distribution. — The species is found widely distributed throughout the Philip- 

 pine Archipelago from northern Luzon to southern Mindanao. It is known to 

 occur in the following islands and provinces: Lepanto, Zambales, Bataan, Cama- 

 rines, Sorsogon, Negros, Palawan, Davao, and Zamboanga. 



Distinction from dammar resin. — Manila copal is frequently con- 

 founded with true dammar. 



Ridley 3 speaks of "dammar minyak" as a large, coniferous tree (Dammara 

 orientalis Lamb.) which grows in the hills of Penang, Perak, etc., of the Malay 

 Peninsula. 



Wiesner, 4 in referring to this subject, says : 



During my sojourn in Java and Sumatra I had ample opportunity to see 

 Dammara orientalis Lamb. 6 and its products and I can positively affirm that the 

 resin is not identical with the dammar resin of commerce. The product of Dam- 

 mara orientalis Lamb, compares with no known resin better than with the Kauri 

 copal of Dammara australis Lamb. 



2 The Almaciga Tree. This Journal, Sec. A (1910), 5, 173. 



* Journ. Asiat. Soc. Straits, Burmah (1890), 92. 



* hoc. cit., 255. 



5 Dammara orientalis Lamb, is treated by all authors as a synonym of Agathis 

 alba (Lam). 



