Bhesa robusta (Roxb.) Ding Hou, Blumea Suppl. 4 (1958)
Latin for 'strong'.

Synonyms
Bhesa moja Ham. ex Arn., Celastrus robustus Roxb., Kurrimia calophylla Wall., Kurrimia maingayi Laws. in Hook.f., Kurrimia pulcherrima Wall. ex Laws. in Hook.f., Kurrimia robusta Kurz, Kurrimia robusta var. roxburghii Pierre, Kurrimia robusta var. thorelii Pierre, Nothocnestis sumatrana Miq.

Description
Upper canopy tree up to 48 m tall and 96 cm dbh. Twigs often glaucous. Stipules dropping early, only present at tip of twig. Leaves alternate, simple, penni-veined, with long pulvinate petioles, tertiary venation regularly ladder-like. Flowers ca. 3.4 mm in diameter, greenish-white, placed in racemes. Fruits ca. 33 mm long, greenish-yellow, one-locular capsule, seeds with orange aril.

Ecology
In undisturbed mixed dipterocarp forests up to 900 m altitude. Usually on hillsides and ridges with sandy soils. In secondary forests usually present as a pre-disturbance remnant tree.

Uses
Timber is used for house building and beams.

Distribution
Pakistan, NE India, Bhutan, Birma, Indo-China, Thailand, Andaman Islands, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, Central- and East-Kalimantan), New Guinea.

Local names in Borneo
Simun.