Apitong, as known commercially, may be the product of not less than 15 species 
of the genus Dipterocarpus (l) . The most common species are D . grandif lorus 
Bianco (= D. tuberculatus Roxb.), D, lasiopodus Perkins, and D. vernicifluus 
Blanco (l, 17) • 
In addition to apitong, vliich is a common name in the Philippines, a number 
of other trade and vernacular names are often applied to these woods. These 
include eng in India and England (9, 21), gurjun in Burma, keruing in the 
Malay Peninsula, hora in Ceylon, and yang in Siam (h, ^, 34) . 
The Tree 
Dipterocarpus grandif lorus Blanco (= D. tuberculatus Roxb.) may be considered 
as a typical species of the group of voods called apitong. It is one of the 
most generally known and widely distributed. 
Size 
The trees may attain a height of 50 to 155 feet, often with 50 to 90 feet of 
clear, straight, cylindrical bole before the first branches. Girths of 8 to 
15 feet and diameters up to 90 inches have been reported. The trees have 
comparatively small buttresses (l, k, 5; 14, 21) . 
Leaves 
The deciduous (8) leaves are leathery and smooth (30) . 
Flowers 
The fragrant flowers are white or pink in color (31) . 
Fruit 
The fruit is one-celled with two large outwardly curved wings (31). 
Bark 
The bark may be 3 to k inches thick, brittle, and light gray to dark brownish 
gray. It sheds off in large scroll-shaped plates and bears many corky 
pustules; the inner bark is reddish. Resin used for varnish, torches, and 
boat caulking exudes when the l/2-inch inner bark is cut. The ends of the 
logs tend to be resinous and "tacky" (k, 5, 14, 31) . 
Report No. 31920 -2- 
