Hora - Endemic Tree of Sri Lanka
Scientific Name: Dipterocarpus zeylanicus
Family: Dipterocarpaceae
Origin: Endemic to Sri Lanka
Appearance and Characteristics
Family: Dipterocarpaceae
Origin: Endemic to Sri Lanka
Appearance and Characteristics
- A large evergreen rainforest tree endemic to Sri Lanka, belonging to the Dipterocarpaceae family.
- Can grow to approximately 30–40 meters tall, developing a tall, straight trunk and a broad crown.
- Produces small, pale yellowish to creamy flowers in branched clusters.
- Produces distinctive winged fruits, with the enlarged wings helping the seeds disperse by wind.
- The timber is strong and durable and has traditionally been used for construction, furniture, flooring and other wood products.
- Because of its ecological importance and conservation value, environmentalists recommended designating it as a protected species.
- It is an important canopy tree of Sri Lanka's lowland wet-zone rainforests contributing significantly to forest structure and habitat formation.
- Its flowers, fruits and foliage contribute to the food resources and habitat available to rainforest wildlife.
