Intsia palembanica aka Merbau

Intsia palembanica is a large tropical tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Its common names include merbau and Borneo teak. Its native range runs from Bangladesh to New Guinea. It grows in coastal woods and inland forests. It also occurs beside seasonal swamps and on flooded land. Some trees grow on sandstone or limestone hills. Records place it in both primary forest and older secondary woodland.

Useful Tropical Plants lists a height of 131 feet [40 metres]. Its account describes trees reaching 164 feet [50 metres]. PFAF gives a higher figure of 262 feet [80 metres]. The sources do not establish a usual garden size. Forest trees can have branch-free trunks reaching 72 feet [22 metres]. Their trunks measure about 2–4 feet [0.6–1.2 metres] across. Large buttresses can rise 23 feet [7 metres] above ground. They may extend outwards for 20 feet [6 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants describes brief leaf loss; PFAF calls the tree evergreen.

This tree comes from warm, wet lowland regions. It grows best where temperatures stay between 17°C and 33°C. Frost can harm it. PFAF lists USDA zones 10–12. Reported annual rainfall ranges from 1,500 to 2,300 millimetres. Trees grow most often near sea level. Cultivation records report success up to 1,476 feet [450 metres]. PFAF describes slow growth and flowers that bees and other insects pollinate. It also reports that the tree can fix nitrogen. Seeds provide a means of propagation.

People harvest merbau for its valuable timber and trade it worldwide. The wood serves in furniture, flooring, panelling, and fine building work. Its heartwood starts orange-brown and darkens with exposure to light. A pale band of sapwood surrounds it. The grain can interlock or form waves. The wood is heavy, hard, strong, and durable. It resists fungi and dry-wood borers, with some resistance to termites. These are timber traits, not proof that living trees resist pests. The wood dries slowly but stays stable once dry.

The bark and wood yield brown and yellow dyes. People use these dyes on cloth and mats. Young seeds sometimes serve as food. The sources give no preparation method for eating them. Bark and leaves also have recorded medicinal uses. The evidence does not describe treatments or establish their safety. Both plant accounts list no known hazards. That statement does not confirm safety for people or pets.