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2. Dipterocarpus zeyJan'cns Thw., Enum. 33. 1859. (Fig. 185).
Dipterocarpus turbinatus Moon
Sinh. Hora. Sarala, Sora; Sans. Sanigha.
D1PTEROCARPEAE
A very tall, straight tree, about 56 m in height with an erect trunk, branching mostly at
the top, bark grey, flaking off in large shields from the bottom edge in older trees, twigs bearing
scars of fallen leaves and stipules, young parts densely pubescent or silky; leaves simple,
alternate, stipulate, large, 12-5—17.5 cm long, broadly oval, rounded at base, suddenly acute,
obscurely crenate-serrate, glabrous when old, lateral veins 14—18 pairs; petioles 3.8—5 cm
long; stipules 12.5 cm long, oblong, acute, thick, pink, caducous, pubescent inside; flowers
regular, bisexual, 3.8 cm diameter in drooping double racemes, pedicels 0.6—1 -2 cm long,
at first stellate puberulous; sepals 5, connate at base into a campanulate calyx-tube, glabrous,
stellate-pubescent; petals 5, oblong, purplish red with a yellow border, 2.5 cm long, obtuse,
recurved at ends, connate at base and contorted; stamens indefinite, filaments short, anthers
linear, long-acuminate with an apiculus nearly as iong; ovary superior, pubescent, 3-carpellary,
3-1 ocular with two pendulous ovules in each chamber; fruit a l-seeded, indehiscent nut enclosed
in the persistent, enlarged calyx-tube, fruit calyx purple when young 17.5 cm long, tube 3.2 cm
long, bluntly 5-ribbed down, urceolate, wings strongly 3-veined, reticulated, smaller lobes about
2.5 cm long, nut ovoid conical, finely silky and about 2.5 cm long.
Flowers in February.
Illustrations. Trimen, Hand-book Fl. Ceyl. pi 10. 1893; Worthington, Ceylon Trees,
pi 49. 1959. Herb. Peradeniya, drawing.
Distribution. A common, endemic tree, growing in the moist low-country extending into
the lower montane zone.
Ceylon. Central Prov., Peradeniya, Bot. Gard., cultivated, Alston, Jan. 1926; Ferguson.
Sabaragamuwa Prov., Pasdunkorale, Deltota. Thwaites CP. 1921.
Uses. The heart-wood of the tree is used along with other ingredients in the treatment
of fever. The greenish-grey gum resin is used on chronic ulcers, sinuses and fistulae. Internally,
it acts as a diaphoretic and expectorant and useful in the treatment of pharyngitis, tonsilitis,
bronchitis and pneumonia.
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