Shorea negrosensis Foxw.

Shorea negrosensis is a large tree up to 50 m tall, with bole branchless for 20-30 m and a diameter up to 200 cm. The tree is prominently buttressed. Leaves ovate to elliptical, thinly leathery, 6.5-17 cm x 3-7.5 cm, with (8-) 11-15 pairs of secondary veins. Stamens about 48, anthers linear-oblong with short appendages, stylopodium indistinct. Fruit calyce lobes large up to 7 x 13 cm.

The pollinators of S. negrosensis are insects.

S. negrosensis is common and occurs gregariously in evergreen and seasonal dipterocarp forests at low altitudes.

For practical application, the best medium for S. negrosensis is sand or its mixture with ordinary garden soil.

Erosion control: The tree is important in protecting watershed areas. Reclamation: S. negrosensis has potential in reforestation. Soil improver: Leaf litter of S. negrosensis on decay improves soil quality. Boundary or barrier or support: S. negrosensis provides wood used in making fencing material. Intercropping: The species is promising for agroforestry, in experiments S. negrosensis sawdust extracts did not show allelopathic effects on rice and trifoliate orange.

Apiculture: The flowers are visited by insects for pollen. Timber: In the Philippines red lauan is a valuable export timber, in 1989 the export value of sawn timber was US $ 125 million. The bark is considered to have a great potential for use as building board. S. negrosensis yields a pulp with high over-all strength properties. The wood density is 420-805 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content. The timber is commonly used as a compression member in timber framed structures. Metham sodium and methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) are used in protecting and eliminating wood fungal decay. Tannin or dyestuff: S. negrosensis bark is a suitable source of extract for tanning soles, the bark contains 9-10% tannin. Medicine: It is reported that S. negrosensis wood extractives are tumour-inhibiting.