AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 



OF THE 



STRAITS 



AND 



FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 



No. 3.] MARCH. 1906. [Vol. V. 



THE TIMBERS AND GUTTAS OF THE MALAY 



PENINSULA. 



( Sapotace/e.) 



The order of trees known as that of the Sapotacex is one of the 

 most troublesome to the Botanist, as so many are trees of such 

 gigantic size that it is extremely difficult to get flowers or fruit of 

 them. The flowers are small and inconspicuous and it is often 

 difficult to determine whether a tree is in flower or no, and if it is, 

 it is frequently impossible to get specimens. At the same time it is 

 an order of no small importance producing some of the finest hard 

 timbers in the East and also being the source of gutta percha, and 

 of many oil seeds. The plants of this order occurring in the Malay 

 Peninsula have lately been described by Sir GEORGE KING and 

 Mr. GAMBLE in the Materials for a Flora of the Malay Peninsula, 

 No. 17, published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 

 (Vol. LXXIV 1905). Forty-eight species of indigenous trees be- 

 longing to seven genera are described, with the two cultivated 

 species of Mimusops. 



GUTTA PERGHA PRODUCING SPECIES. 



Of the plants which produce the best gutta perchas. all belong to 

 the genera Payena and Palaquium, the latter including the Dichopsis 

 of other works. The true guttapercha tree \s Palaquium gutta, 

 Burck, from which P. oblongifolium is only distinguished as a 

 variety. This is I think, quite a correct view, though Dr. BURCK 

 who had studied these plants carefully decided that the two were quite 

 distinct species. The plant undoubtedly varies a great deal in 

 foliage, not only in different circumstances and surroundings but 

 also at different ages. Dr. ROMBURGto who distinguished the two 

 species declared that a plant in the Botanic Gardens which appears 

 to have been one of the original types of D. gutta was oblongifolia. 

 Having seen many thousands of plants in all ages and under all 

 conditions, 1 have failed to find any distinguishing characters 



