White meranti  (Shorea assamica philippinensis)

Classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1).

This highly threatened tree is one of over 500 species of dipterocarp, a group of trees which dominate the lowland rainforests of Asia and are valued for their timber (3). The bark of the white meranti is covered with a network of deep long ridges and the leaves are up to 12 centimetres long and 5.5 centimetres wide, tapering to a fairly blunt tip. The petals are white, with a pink base on the inside on the flower (2). The fruits of dipterocarps are single-seeded nuts enclosed in a winged case (3).

Occurs in the Philippines (1).

White meranti grows in primary forest at low altitudes (2).

Information regarding the biology of the white meranti is lacking. Dipterocarp plants are generally pollinated by insects, and the winged nuts suggest that the seeds are dispersed by wind (3).

The white meranti is considered to be Critically Endangered as a result of logging and slash-and-burn agriculture. The wood of the white meranti is used for furniture, cabinet making, interior finish, veneer, plywood and in boat building (2).

There are no specific conservation measures currently known to be in place for the white meranti.