Merbau (Intsia palembanica) is a slow-growing tree, where it takes up to 80 years for a Merbau to mature. It can grow between 30 to 55 m height with a diameter up to 1.5 meter dbh.
In Peninsular Malaysia, Merbau occurs generally throughout the country, except Perlis, Langkawi, and Penang. It grows along river valleys, in low hills near streams, and in moist sites on alluvial soil (Wyatt-Smith, 1953).
Merbau is tough and durable. It is used for interior finishing, panelling, strip and parquet flooring, superior joinery, cabinet-making, musical instruments, decorative and novelty items, veneers, and power transmission poles.
Merbau was inaugurated as the National Tree on August 23, 2019 (Friday) by YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia.
No | Part | Habit | |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Terrestrial — An animal that lives on/near the ground or a plant that grows on/in/from land
|
No | Description | Suitability | Seasonality |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Forest → Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland Forest
|
Unknown | Unknown |
2 |
Vegetation → Limestone Vegetation
|
Unknown | Unknown |
Year Published | Assessment | Red List Category | Version |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Near Threatened (NT)
|
3.1 |
2010 | Peninsular Malaysia Plant Red List |
Not Evaluated (NE)
|
N/A |
Collection Center | Dried | Live | Slide | Wet | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
18 | ||||||
36 | ||||||
1 | ||||||
2 | ||||||
8 |
Profile | |
---|---|
Ahmad Aldrie Amir (Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Evolution, Forest, History, Law and Policy, Management, Marine & Coastal, Protected Areas & Science
|
Alona Cuevas Linatoc (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity & Conservation
|
Anisah Lee Abdullah (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
|
Coral Reefs, Vascular,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Geoinformatics, Management, Marine & Coastal, Protected Areas, Science, Technology & Water
|
Asyraf Mansor (Dr.)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
|
Palms, Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Evolution & Forest
|
Avelinah Julius (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Chan Yoke Mui (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Palms (Ecology), Vascular (Ecology),
Conservation, Biodiversity, Forest & Genetics
|
Cheah Yih Horng (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Moss, Vascular,
Biodiversity & Systematics
|
Chew Ming Yee (Ms.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
|
Chong Ju Lian (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Mammals (Ecology), Vascular (Ecology),
Invasive Alien Species, Protected Areas, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Marine & Coastal & Climate Change
|
E. Soepadmo (Prof.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
|
Vascular,
|
|
John Baptist Sugau (Mr.)
Department of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Kartini Binti Saibeh (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)
|
Vascular,
Agriculture, Biodiversity & Conservation
|
Lau Kah Hoo (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular, Ginger,
Conservation
|
Lillian Chua Swee Lian (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Conservation
|
Lim Chung Lu (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Mahani Bt. Mansor Clyde (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Vascular,
|
Mohamad Azani Alias (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy), Vascular, Vascular, Amphibians, Amphibians,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Climate Change, Protected Areas & Forest
|
Mohd Fahmi Abu Bakar (Ts. Dr.)
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA)
|
Vascular,
Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Evolution, Genetics, Molecular & Systematics
|
Mohd Nazre Salleh @ Japri (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity
|
Mohd Norfaizal Ghazalli (Dr.)
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI)
|
Vascular, Pitcher plants,
Agriculture, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Science, Systematics & Taxonomy
|
Nadiah Idris (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Nazahatul Anis Amaludin (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
|
Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity & Conservation
|
Nor Ezzawanis Abdullah Thani (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
|
Norzielawati Bt. Salleh (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity, Forest & Molecular
|
Nur Kyariatul Syafinie Abdul Majid (Ms.)
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
|
Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Forest & Protected Areas
|
Nur Supardi Md Noor (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Palms, Vascular,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest & Management
|
Ong Poh Teck (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy), Orchids,
|
Rafidah Abdul Rahman (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Richard Chung Cheng Kong (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Rusea Go (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
|
Orchids (Taxonomy), Vascular (Taxonomy), Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Forest, Management, Protected Areas, Climate Change & Invasive Alien Species
|
Sam Yen Yen (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy), Ginger,
|
Saw Leng Guan (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
|
Shamsul Khamis (Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
Taxonomy
|
Siti Aishah Abdullah (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Vascular,
|
Siti Munirah Mat Yunoh (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
Marine & Coastal
|
Suhaida Mustafa (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Ecology),
Conservation
|
Syahida Emiza Suhaimi (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
|
Syazwani Bt. Azeman (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity, Forest & Science
|
Tam Sheh May (Dr.)
Taylor's University
|
Orchids, Vascular,
Biodiversity, Data Analysis, Evolution, Genetics & Molecular
|
Tan Swee Lian (Dr.)
Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM)
|
Vascular (Ecology),
Agriculture & Biodiversity
|
Ummul Nazrah Abdul Rahman (Ms.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Wendy Yong Sze Yee (Ms.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Conservation & Biodiversity
|
Yao Tze Leong (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity & Ecosystems
|
Yong Kien Thai (Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Moss, Vascular (Taxonomy), Ferns (Taxonomy),
Protected Areas, Biodiversity, Conservation, Evolution & Taxonomy
|
Acknowledgements :- Mr. Ahmad Amir Firdaus Bin Mad Apandi, Ms. Aida Salihah Binti Abu Bakar, Ms. Ainul Aqilah Binti Mohd Nasir, Ms. Ajla Rafidah Baharom, Ms. Amirah Hasanah Binti Mazlan, Ms. Anissa Huda Binti Rosli, Mrs. Aziemah Binti Kinan, Mr. Badrul Amin Bin Jaffar, Mrs. Faridah Anas, Ms. Heng Pooi San, Ms. Mira Farzana Binti Mohamad Mokhtar, Mr. Mohamad Amini Bin Nordin, Mr. Mohamad Nazrin Bin Ahmad Azmi, Mr. Muhammad Lutfi Haron, Ms. Norazah Binti Norddin, Mrs. Norhaslinda Mohd Nor, Mrs. Nur Hazwanie Binti Abd Halim, Ms. Nurfadzilah Bt Azmi, Ms. Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas, Ms. Nurul Aimi Amirah Binti Mohd Zaki, Ms. Siti Nor Hidayati Kamaruddin, Ms. Siti Zubaidah Binti Abdul Latif, Mr. Tan Kok Kiat & Mr. Yasser Mohamed Arifin
Photo credit :- FRIM, Saw Leng Guan, Tan Kok Kiat, Tan Sin Hoong & Yasser Arifin
Species Citation :- Intsia palembanica. Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Accessed via https://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/39670. [Retrieved 30 September 2023].
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