Kingdom Plantae Family Altingiaceae | Order Saxifragales Rank Genus | |
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Similar Altingia excelsa, Altingiaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Exbucklandia, Semiliquidambar cathayensis | ||
Harvest logging rasamala altingia excelsa with a notch takik rebah dan balas by chainsaw
Altingia is a genus of 11 species of flowering plants in the family Altingiaceae, formerly often treated in the related family Hamamelidaceae. The genus is native to southeastern Asia, in Bhutan, Cambodia, southern China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is named in honor of Willem Arnold Alting (1724–1800), the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies when Noronha visited Java.
They are evergreen trees growing to 10–50 m tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, simple unlobed, 4–15 cm long and 2–7 cm broad, with a serrated margin. The flowers are produced in a dense globose inflorescence, similar to those of the related genus Liquidambar.
Some recent genetic evidence suggests Altingia should be merged into a broader circumscription of Liquidambar, but other evidence maintains their separation.
The leaves are used as food by the larvae of some Lepidoptera, including Endoclita damor.
