Common Name |
Albazia |
Description |
Paraserianthes falcataria or Sengon in Indonesian is a fairly large tree, up to 40 m tall; bole branchless for up to 20 m; grows to 100 cm or sometimes more in diameter, with a spreading flat crown. A pioneer species, P. falcataria occurs in primary but more characteristically in secondary lowland rainforest and in light montane forest, grassy plains and along roadsides near the sea. It is adapted to peri-humid and monsoonal climates with a dry season of up to 2 (4 max.) months. It is sensitive to fire and easily damaged by strong wind. |
Products |
Fodder: An activated tree metabolism at the beginning of the wet season synthesizes a complex polysaccharide that increases palatability for cattle of the bark. Leaves are used to feed goats.
Fuel: Widely used for fuelwood and charcoal production in spite of its low density and energy value. Fibre: P. falcataria trees coppice fairly well, an advantage for pulpwood production. The wood is suitable for pulping and papermaking. It can be used to produce good-quality pulp by mechanical, semi-chemical or chemical processes. Because of its light colour, only a little bleaching is required to achieve good white paper. The neutral, semi-chemical process produces pulp with excellent strength properties. It has also been used for the manufacture of viscose rayon. Timber: The comparatively soft timber is suitable for general utility purposes, such as light construction, furniture, cabinet work, lightweight packing materials and pallets, and chopsticks. Because the wood is fairly easy to cut, P. falcataria is also suitable for wooden shoes, musical instruments, toys and novelties, forms and general turnery. P. falcataria is an important source of veneer and plywood and is very suitable for the manufacture of particleboard, woodwool board and hardboard and has recently been used for blockboard |
