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betweenOthe forms which are in any way reliable. The common 
name is Taban in the Malay Peninsula. In Sumatra it is called 
Balam, and several forms are distinguished under the names of 
Balam putih and Balam merah (typical P. oblongifolium ) and Balam 
Belukar more resembling the round-leaved D. gutta. A quite 
worthless but beautiful tree which is very often mistaken at first 
sight for gutta percha is Payena Maingayi. Its conspicuous golden 
leaves usually much longer than those of the Palaquium gutta at 
first glance suggest those of that plant. Its gutta too when fresh 
drawn and set has the same red speckled appearance of first class 
gutta but never hardens, remaining a putty-like mass, which 
usually at^ least becomes quite black after a short time. It is very 
common in Malacca and open country generally in the Peninsula. 
It is known as ‘‘Malaim pata”, and is said to give a good durable 
timber, heavy and dark brown, used in house building. It attains 
the height of about 70 feet. It is one of the numerous plants 
known also as Niatoh, a name applied to a large number of gutta-pro- 
ducing plants, and according to Mr. Curtis the Malay call it 
“ Taban Percha ”, the real gutta percha being always known here 
as Getah Taban, and not as Percha. The seeds are imported from 
Sumatra for oil. 
Payena Selangorica, King and Gamble, is another tree which at 
first sight when alive resembles Palaquium Gutta, but the leaves 
are much stiffen I found the only specimen yet known on the 
. woods of Bukit Kutu in Selangor. It is a tree about 20 feet tall. 
I took it for a gutta tree and was surprised to find on cutting into it 
that no gutta came out at all. 
Payena Leerii. — The white gutta percha, Getah Sundek occurs all 
over the Peninsula and in Sumatra, Banka, Borneo and Amboina, 
but an allied species P. Havilandi, King and Gamble seems to be 
commoner in the Peninsula. This latter, known here as S’marum, 
is a big tree like Leerii , but has rounder leaves. Its gutta appears 
as good as that of P. Leerii . At one time a good deal of Getah 
Sundek was collected in the Dindings. This was the produce of 
P. Leerii. 
Payena luctda. — A common tree of no great size known as Niato, 
Niatoh putih, Niato bulam, Poko Tanjong hutan (from a resemblance 
to Mimusops Elengi) gives no gutta. The timber is poor and not 
large. 
Palaquium obovatum , King. — The Taban putih is the well known 
Dichop sis obovata, Clarke. It gives a fairly good second class white 
gutta. It is also called Niato bunga, Niato tembaga, Niato balam 
(Balam and Niato are both Sumatran words signifying what is 
known as Taban here.) It is a very common tree and never seems 
to have been very popular with gutta collectors. Dichopsis Kran- 
tziana, Pierre, a native of Cochin-China seems to be very closely 
allied to this plant. Young plants grown in the Botanic Gardens are 
hardly distinguishable from D. obovata. D. Krantziana produces 
a gutta similar to that of D. obovata , which is exported from French 
Indo-China in the form of twists. It is of low value. 
