Madhuca utilis (Ridley)H.J.Lam ex K. Heyne

A large tree up to 50 m tall with bole up to 1 m in diameter and buttresses up to 2 m high. Leaves closely clustered at tips of twigs, obovate to spatulate, 4-12.5(-18) cm x 1.5-6 cm, secondary veins joined in irregular arches near margin, glabrous and glaucous beneath, stipules up to 3 mm long, caducous Flowers with sepals yellowish-brown woolly outside and glabrous inside except near tips, 8-9-lobed corolla sparsely woolly outside and glabrous inside except between stamens, 10-16 stamens and glabrous ovary. Fruit ellipsoid to fusiform, 3.5-5.5 cm x 1.5-3 cm, with woody or fleshy pericarp, 1-seeded. Seed 3-4 cm long, with thin, brown testa and very large greyish scar, endosperm very thin or absent, cotyledons thick.

Monkeys have been observed to eat the seeds of M. utilis. Many seeds are destroyed in this way, but the ones dropped accidentally are dispersed over some distance.

M. utilis is locally common, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia, in lowland primary forest; also found in swampy forest.

Seeds of M. utilis take 3-16 weeks to germinate.

Lipids: The oil from the seeds is used locally in Sumatra for cooking. Timber: The timber is used as bitis, for heavy constructional work, paving blocks, agricultural implements and turnery.