YAYASAN TUMBUH-TUMBUHAN YANG BERGUNA FOUNDATION FOR USEFUL PLANTS OF TROPICAL ASIA VOLUME III A HANDBOOK OF THE DIPTEROCARPACEAE OF SRI LANKA YAYASAN TUMBUH-TUMBUHAN YANG BERGUNA FOUNDATION FOR USEFUL PLANTS OF TROPICAL ASIA VOLUME III A HANDBOOK OF THE DIPTEROCARPACEAE OF SRI LANKA A.J.G.H. KOSTERMANS Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka A HAND BOOK OF THE DIPTEROCARPACEAE OF SRI LANKA A.J.G.H Kostermans Copyright © 1992 by the Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka ISBN 955-9114-05-0 All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems — without permission of the publisher. Manufactured in the Republic of Indonesia Published by the Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka Printed by PT Gramedia, Jakarta under supervision of PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama (Publisher), Jakarta 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS Preface 1 Acknowledgments 3 List of illustrations 5 Introduction 8 History of taxonomy 19 Ecology and vegetation classification 22 Dipterocarpaceae and key to the genera 27 Species 29 References 137 Abbreviations 147 Collector's numbers 147 Index of vernacular names 149 Index of scientific names 149 PREFACE Since the publication of P. Ashton's revision of the Dipterocarpaceae of Sri Lanka in 1977 (reprinted in 1980), a fair number of changes have appeared in this family, a large number of new species has been published in periodicals not always easily accessible and, hence, we thought it appropriate to bring together in a single volume an up-to-date overview of the family in Sri Lanka. Dipterocarpaceae are now considered a purely Asiatic family; the sub- family Monotoideae has been raised to family rank (Monotaceae) occurring in tropical Africa and in South America (the former sub-family Pakaraimoideae Ashton and Maguire), a family closely related to Tiliaceae. The name Monotaceae appeared for the second time (after Maury's thesis) in Takhtazhian's Systema Magnoliophytorum, Officina editoria Nauk, Lening- rad: 129. 1978, but as cited Monotaceae Maury, a name not properly published and the name not valid. The family name appeared properly in Taxon 38: 123. 1989. Apart from the characteristics enumerated by me in Taxon 34: 426. 1985, the Monotaceae deviate from the Dipterocarpaceae by lacking resin ducts and having a different chemistry (Dias & al. 1966). Of Pakaraimoideae Hegnauer (in Ashton in Fl. Males. 9(2): 274. 1982) made the remark that the chemical affinity to Asiatic Dipterocarpaceae as presented by Gianassi & Niklas (1977) was inadequate. The remark by Ashton in his revision of Malesian Dipterocarpaceae (1982) that Pakaraimaea was definitely proved to belong to Dipterocarpaceae has been thoroughly refuted. There is nothing definite in plant taxonomy. A similar mistake was made by Symington, who once pretended that the circumscription of Vatica was definitely established.* "We have deemed it necessary to break-up the genus Vatica and have re- instated the genus Sunaptea, Griff., for those species provided with real well- *A 8-page typescript paper by Kochummen (Forest Research Institute, Kepong, Malaysia) -with corrections of mistakes and omissions in Ashton's paper, has been distributed to main Herbaria. Unluckily these valuable corrections have so far not been published as an Addendum in Flora Malesiaua. 1 to stay several times at their quarters in Weddegalle, at the entrance of Sinharaja forest. There are numerous other people to which we want to extend our feelings of gratefulness, like the Director of the small Hospital in Hiniduma, where we spent some nights, the care of the Catholic Sisters at the Convent in Hiniduma who looked after our team better than anywhere else, the driver of my jeep, and the treeclimber Sumeni (mentioned elsewhere) who helped a great deal in making my collecting trips a great success. Hospitality was even extended to us by our guide to Hinidum Kande, in his small house at the base of that mountain. "We spent also some time at the home of the father of Dr. Nimal Gunatilleke, a house near a small stretch of marshy forest, perhaps the last area of lowland marshy forest, where Stemonoporus moonii was rediscovered, a new Vatica and the last wild tree of Mesua. stylosa. The former President of Sri Lanka, Dr. Jayawardena, permitted us to collect on his private Estate and offered hospitality at his home. We appreciated this tremendously, together with his willingness to help to preserve endangered species. We also express our gratitude to Miss Siti Rohajawati, who took care of the typing. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Dipterocarpus glandulosus Thw. Fig. la Idem Fig. 2 — bispidus Thw. Fig. 2a Idem Fig. 3 — insignis Thw. Fig. 4 — zeylanicus Thw. Fig. 4# Idem Fig. 4b Idem Fig. 5 Sunaptea scabriuscula (Thw.) Trim. Fig. 6 Vatica lewisiana (Thw. ex Hooker f.) Livera Fig. 7 — affinis Thw. Fig. 7^ Idem Fig. 8 — paludosa Kosterm. Fig. 8a Idem Fig. 9 — obscura Trim. Fig. 10 Vateria copallifera (Retz.) Alston Fig. 11 Idem Fig. 11 a Idem Fig. lib Idem Fig. 12 Hopea discolor Thw. Fig. 13 — cordifolia (Thw.) Trim. Fig. 14 — jucunda, Thw. Fig. 14a Idem Fig. 14b Idem Fig. 15 — modesta (DC) Kosterm. Fig. 15 a. Idem Fig. 16 Shorea dyeri Thw. Fig. 17 — lissophylla Thw. Fig. 17 a Idem Fig. 17^ Idem Fig. 18 — oblongifolia, Thw. Fig. 18* Idem Fig. 19 — pallescens Ashton Fig. 20 — stipularis Thw. Fig. 2Qa Idem Fig. 21 — bulanidda Kosterm. Fig. 2la Idem Fig. 22 Doona affinis Thw. Fig. 22a Idem Fig. 23 — congestiflora Thw. Fig. 24 — gardneri Thw. Fig. 25 — macrophylla Thw. Fig. 25^ Idem Fig. 25b Idem Fig. 26 — nervosa Thw. Fig. 27 — oblonga Thw. Fig. 27# Idem Fig. 28 — ovalifolia Thw. Fig. 2Sa Idem Fig. 28£ Idem Fig. 29 — trapezifolia Thw. Fig. 30 — venulosa Thw. Fig. 31 — zeylanica Thw. Fig. 32 Balanocarpus brevipetiolaris (Thw.) Alston Fig. 33 — kitulgallensis Kosterm. Fig. 34 Stemonoporus lancifolius Thw. Fig. 35 Sinharaja forest, Sri Lanka Fig. 36 — buttatus Kosterm. Fig. 36a Idem Fig. 37 — kanneliyensis Kosterm. Fig. 37 a Idem Fig. 37 b Idem Fig. 38 — revolntus Trim, ex Hooker f. Fig. 39 — gracilis Kosterm. Fig. 39^ Idem Fig. 40 — gardneri Thw. Fig. 40tf Idem Fig. 41 — canaliculatus Thw. Fig. 42 — nitidus Thw. Fig. 43 — laevifolius Kosterm. Fig. 44 — reticulatus Thw. Fig. 44^ Idem Fig. 45 — rigidus Thw. Fig. 45# Idem Fig. 46 — oblongifolius Thw. Fig. 47 — petiolaris Thw. Fig. 47<2 Idem Fig. 48 — wigbtii Thw. Fig, 49 — gilimalensis Kosterm. Fig. 50 — scalarinervis Kosterm. Fig. 51 — lanceolattis Thw. Fig. 51a — lanceolatus Thw. Fig. 52 — latisepalum Kosterm. Fig. 53 — affinis Thw. Fig. 54 — acuminatus (Thw.) Alston Fig. 54^ Idem Fig. 55 — moonii Thw. Fig. 55a ' Idem Fig. 55b Idem Fig. 56 — cordifolius (Thw.) Trim. Fig. 56a Idem Fig. 57 — elegans (Thw.) Alston Fig. 58 — angustisepalum Kosterm. Fig. 59 — scaphifolmm Kosterm. Fig. 59^ Idem Fig. 60 Sinharaja forest Fig. 61 Sinharaja forest Fig. 62 Doona trapezifolia forest,-above Moray Estate, Maskeliya Fig. 63 Doona congestiflora and Dipterocarpus hispidus. E. part of Sinharaja forest INTRODUCTION General. Sri Lanka lies between longitudes of N. 79° 39' and 81° 53' and latitudes N. 5° 54' and 5° 52'. The island is pear shaped and covers an area of 25.332 square miles (65610 square kilometers), with a maximum length and breadth of approximately 270 and 140 miles and with a population of 16 million (1984) rapidly increasing population. It is connected to India by a continental (Deccan) shelf and separated from it in the north by the shallow Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. CEYLON DISTRIBUTION OF ANCIENT IRRIGATION TANKS (EACH DOT (.) REPRESENT TEN TANKS AND A CROSS ( +) INDICATES ONE TO A FEW TANK) Distribution of former irrigation tanks. Abeywickrama. (1955) History. About 2000 years ago Sinhalese and Tamils moved into the island and in the lowlands (Dry Zone) forests were cleared for rice cultivation. The extent may be gleaned from the number of man-made water reservoirs (called tanks), mainly found in the Dry Zone. They indicate that the original vegetation was destroyed. In the thirteenth century the population died out (for unknown reasons, perhaps diseases like malaria or starvation) and a secondary Dry Zone vegetation established itself, much poorer in species than the original one. Many species could have survived because of the habit of Budhists to create sanctuaries near places of worship. Even nowadays there is an enormous difference between areas of Islamic villages, where Nature has been exterminated and Budhist dominated regions. The Mid-mountains were also fairly densely populated, as may be seen from the presence of tanks. The coastal areas were colonized by the Portuguese between 1600 and 1650. The colonizers mixed with the local population and a new section of mixed races, calling themselves Burgers, was created. The Dutch replaced the Portuguese between 1658 and 1796 and these by the British from 1796 to 1948. The British were only successful in subjugating the Kandy Kings in 1815. The British deforested the upper lands above 1000 m altitude by establishing plantations, first coffee, which had to be replaced by tea because coffee was devastated by Hemileia vastatrix and the British became tea drinkers. Cinchona was planted after 1870 but nowadays tea is the only important crop of the highlands. In the lowlands the common tropical crops; rice, rubber, oil palm, etc. are the most important. Geology. Archaeic rocks of precambrium age (kondhalite and charnokite) cover most of the island. Miocene limestone underlies the Jaffna Peninsula and the northwestern coastal regions, Jurassic deposits occur in two small pockets in Tabbova and Andigama and Pleistocene and subrecent gravels are the eastern margins of the Miocene limestone belt.