A review of dipterocarps - Center for International Forestry Research

Biogeography and Evolutionary Systematics of Dipterocarpaceae
Figure 1. Distribution of Dipterocarpaceae (adapted from Meher-Homji V.M. 1979).
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Asian sub-division Dipterocarps
Their presence in Seychelles and Andaman
Marquesia
African:
Monotes
Shorea robusta
Fossils
Doubtful fossils
S. American Pakaraimaea
New genus: Pseudomonotes tropenbosii
Monotoideae in Africa and South America. The position
of the African and South-American taxa relative to the
Asian group varies with authors (Table 1).
Consequently the family contains either 15, 16 or
19 genera (Table 2) and 470 to 580 or more species
(plus the newly found South American taxon, the
monospecific genus called Pseudomonotes
tropenbosii which has been attributed to the
Monotoideae by its authors (Londoño et al. 1995,
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Morton 1995). During the past decade the numbers have
reduced with the increase in collections and systematic
expertise. However, uncertainties remain in Asia and
Africa, underlining the necessity of an exhaustive and
detailed review.
Diversity of opinions also exists for generic
divisions, especially with the genus Shorea and the group
of genera Vatica and Cotylelobium. A synthetic
classification is thus needed. It could be produced from
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