Tribe Shoreae (Dipterocarpaceae subfamily Dipterocarpoideae) Finally Dissected

Abstract

SummaryThe dipterocarp tribe Shoreae, perhaps more than any other members of this elegant family of often giant emergent trees, is familiar to all who visit the once ubiquitous lowland forests of tropical Asia. Timbers of the genus Shorea comprised the bulk of hardwood traded on international markets for thirty years, since the nineteen seventies. Distinct species groups came to be recognised by taxonomists: for their characteristic androecia, and sometimes differences in bark and wood anatomy, while generic status for some was then proposed on embryological evidence. A new molecular phylogeny of the family, and this tribe, substantially confirms the embryological case. This paper formalises resultant nomenclatural changes. Those of us who recall the majestic forested former landscapes of the Sunda lands may regret this decision. But now, with landscapes irretrievably changed by serried ranks of oil palm and forest degradation, the case for recognition of the proposed new entities can guide conservation planners in recognising and making the case for permanently conserving surviving undisturbed stands of exceptional composition or diversity.