Bitaog or Palomaria

We have 320 Palomaria seedlings that we grew from seeds. We will be planting 300 of them around the farm this rainy season.

Callophyllum inophyllum

Family: Clusiaceae

Common Names: Bitaog, Palomaria, Ballnut, Alexandrian Laurel, Beauty  Leaf, Laurel Wood, Indian Laurel

Reference: Philippine Native Trees 101

Origin: indigenous to the Philippines. Also found in East Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia to the Pacific islands; usually found in sandy beaches and coastal thickets

Uses: All parts of the tree are used in traditional medicine such as seed oil for curing rheumatism and skin infections;  juice is purgative; bark is used for internal bleeding and as an astringent; milky latex from tleaves is diluted with water and applied to irritated eyes; gum is emetic and purgative; timber is used for heavy construction, fine furniture, panels, and carving

• We received 340+ seeds from our good friend Joel Afable in November 2015 that he gathered from his place in Batangas.
• It took one or two months before the seeds sprouted. At one point we thought that the seeds rotted.
• Almost all the seeds survived and are now ready to plant. The photos of the seedlings were taken in June 2016.
• According to Philippine Native Trees 101, this is a slow-growing tree, medium sized tree. It reaches 14-18 meters. Our friend Jamie Dichaves said that in Palawan, it’s found in the coastal areas and grows up to 1 meter/year. That seems fast! From what I’ve read, hardwoods are usually slow growing.
• The Ivatan people of Batanes use the wood of this tree to build their famous boats. It is called Vutalaw in Batanes.

I will try to get back to cataloging the trees we have.
Here’s a link to the ones that I’ve catalogued so far: Photo Index of Trees and Shrubs.