not available
Description: Intsia bijuga is a medium to large tree, in some cases up to about 35 m (~100 ft.) with small, strongly fluted buttresses at its base. The bark of this valuable tree “is a distinctive light pinkish to reddish brown, weathering to light gray, smooth overall, slightly dappled, peeling in irregularly sized scales (exposing fresh color underneath), sometimes flaky.” It produces compound leaves with 1-3 pairs of broadly ovate, but asymmetric leaflets. The flowers are pure white to pink with a red claw and red to purple stamens in panicles. The pods are thick, leathery, oblong, and contain orbicular, black seeds.
Distribution: This tree is reportedly indigenous in eastern Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, and from Southeast Asia to many high and low islands in the tropical Pacific; however, in some of the more eastern Pacific islands where it is found today, it could be an early anthropogenic introduction. Whistler (2009:137) offered an insightful scenario for its spread independently or with human help to remote tropical Pacific islands: “Although it has seawater-dispersed seeds that allow it to spread to and survive on atolls, it is such a useful tree that it would have been introduced to Polynesia [as well as Micronesia] if it weren’t there originally.” I. bijuga tolerates a wide variety of environmental conditions from rough limestone to sandy and muddy coastal areas, or on the inner margins of mangrove swampy. In addition, it survives in quite dry to seasonally wet windward situations and is found occasionally in coastal or lowland forests and thickets as well as inland and protected in garden areas. In some countries it is occasionally planted in villages.
Uses by Island or Island Group: Thaman et al. (2006) refers to multiple uses of the highly respected and cherished, but decreasingly available Intsia bijuga tree in many tropical Pacific islands:
“It is undoubtedly one of the most highly valued trees in the Pacific islands, both in terms of its traditional cultural importance and its value for commercial timber. Its durable, easy-to-work, attractive dark red-brown wood is especially favored for use in house building, furniture, and woodcarving. It is in very high demand and decreasing in abundance in most locations due to overexploitation for house posts, canoe making, and for woodcarving of valuable cultural artifacts such as kava bowls and weapons, and due to indiscriminate modern commercial logging. In addition to the wide cultural use of its timber throughout its range, it also has potential as a boundary marker or living fence post, for the production of fuelwood (from its branches when harvested for timber or woodcarving), as well as for its considerable medicinal value…. It is a tree that should be considered under threat. Human population pressure, extensive traditional use, and increasing logging and commercial production of kava bowls and other artifacts for sale to the expanding tourist market, coupled with the lack of a tradition of replanting, have rendered exploitation of current populations unsustainable. There is a critical need for systematic propagation and replanting programs to address the situation” (see
http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Intsia-vesi.pdf).
Uses in Palau: Known locally as Dort in Palau, Intsia bijuga has hard, durable and termite resistant wood that is used in these islands for construction; for example, in Palau it is used to make house beams, frames, doors, posts, flooring and bookcases, and native fruit bats sip its nectar when it is flowering (Kitalong et al. 2008:95). The wood of Dort was utilized for house construction extensively before foreign lumber introduction; and it is still in use today, but not as much as before, with a continue use in production of local spear guns for fishing purposes (Cynthia Chin 2002, personal communication).
Uses in Yap: Known locally as Thorrot in Yapese, the Intsia bijuga tree has been an excellent traditional source of lumber for construction in Yap. However, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which lists an international standard for species extinction risk referred to Intsia bijuga, (“thorrot”) as vulnerable (in other words, in danger of being fully removed) in Yap. Indeed, the “world recognizes that Intsia bijuga” among some other very rare species in Yap (especially Cycas micronesica) “face a risk of global extinction in the wild.” Therefore, it is important to recognize that “Yap plays a role in assuring the survival of these species (including Thorrot) for the world” (refer to Falanruw’s (2015) recent “Trees of Yap” publication in which she expressed her hope that her guide book “will help us learn and share information about Yap’s trees so that we will come to a greater appreciation and improved stewardship of this heritage.” https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr249/psw_gtr249.pdf).
Uses in Mariana Islands: Intsia bijuga, known as Ifit or Ifil in the Mariana Islands, was a major forest tree in these islands but now has been mostly logged out (e.g., see (Mueller-Dombois and Fosberg 1998, Marler and Lorence 1994). I. bijuga is uncommon on Tinian and Saipan where it may still be found in some of the remnant primary limestone forest areas, but is somewhat more common on Guam and Rota where local laws now prohibit the cutting of live trees on government lands. Useful as an ornamental plant, shade tree, source of wood for wood carving and construction, I. bijuga wood has long been highly prized in the Mariana Islands for lumber used in house structures, tool parts, and furniture. Over a century ago, Safford (1905:297) referred to this tree as:
“The most important timber tree in Guam. The pillars of the church in Agana [now known as Hagatna] are the trunks of ifil [Ifit] trees cut very near the site of the building. Nearly all the better houses of the island have tables and [settees] made of it, and even floors, which are kept beautifully polished by rubbing them with grated coconut wrapped in a cloth, through which the oil oozes. The wood has the virtue of resisting the attacks of termites or white ants.”
The importance of Intsia bijuga (Ifit) on Guam was succinctly described by Marler and Lorence (1994):
“The ifit tree is an important biological and cultural natural resource of Guam. Ifit wood is highly prized for a multitude of uses, due to its hardness, durability, resistance to damage by termites, and beauty in the finished state. In the past, ifit wood was used for construction of many houses on the island. Furniture made from ifit wood was quite common and highly prized. Due to the tree's rarity today, the use of the wood for construction is no longer possible. Small handicrafts and furniture are the common items currently made from ifit wood.”
Marler and Lorence (1994) described the serious the impact of several insect pests, including the most important of these, a psyllid species on Intsia bijuga (Ifit) on Guam:
“Although several insects that are common on Guam cause damage to ifit trees, the psyllid is a particular problem. This small insect feeds on the young, expanding leaves and stem during the period of stem extension, and on small, developing flowers during panicle growth. Psyllid infestation of flowers probably inhibits further development of the pods. The normal response of an infested ifit is to drop all of the Psyllids are the most common pest. leaves on the expanding stem, leaving only the bare stem. Due to the complete dependence of ifit trees on their leaves for making food, this response causes long term inhibition of tree growth if the ifit tree is re-infested by psyllids during several recurrent flushes of growth.”
Marler and Lorence (1994) also briefly discussed the overall difficult predicament of these valuable woody species in the 1990s:
“The reasons for poor tree health and lack of regeneration are probably a multitude of environmental and human factors. Particularly damaging to ifit tree health has been the frequent typhoons of early 1990s. Although the tree withstands being toppled by typhoons, the defoliation that usually accompanies a typhoon is stressful. Rebuilding the leaf canopy is a long and slow process for this species. The harvesting, cutting down, or removal of any living or dead ifit tree from any Federal or Government of Guam land is strictly prohibited by law in the absence of a permit. Violators are subject to prosecution which may result in fines, imprisonment or both. Notwithstanding this law, numerous trees are cut down each year. It is therefore urgent that every effort be made to put a stop to this illegal activity.”
Today, Intsia bijuga is the official tree of the United States Territory of Guam. In the Guam Statewide Forest Resource Assessment and Resource Strategy 2010–2015 it is suggested that more use of “local species, such as, I. bijuga (Ifit), the island’s territorial tree [should be encouraged] in promoting local culture awareness” (Watershed Professionals Network 2010).
Uses on Namoluk Atoll: There is no reported local name for Intsia bijuga on Namoluk Atoll, and although Marshall (1975:36) indicated that his “informants say this tree has not grown on Namoluk for very many years,” some believe that its seeds may have drifted to Namoluk and taken root. On the other hand, one of Marshall’s informants, a long time resident in Palau asserted that it grows there. According to Marshall, I. bijuga “is found in a thick forest of Pemphis acidula and Cordia subcordata with no underbrush” of Töinom Islet of Namoluk Atoll; indeed, its “wood is said to be very strong, and Namoluk people use it in building construction and at stress points for ropes on sailing canoes” (Marshall 1975:111).
Uses in Pohnpei: Balick et al. (2009:389) list several names for this species on Pohnpei, including “intcia bazuka,” which is apparently based on the scientific binominal, I. bijuga, for this hard-wooded tree; Balick et al. also indicated that the trunk of this species “is cut and used as housing material.”
Uses in Marshall Islands: I. bijuga, known as Kubok or Kukuk in the Marshall Islands, is a native tree of which the wood is used for building posts, house construction and Handles on flying fish nets; it also reportedly has medicinal use in these low coralline islands.