Cleistanthus rufescens Jabl. in Engl., Pflanzr. (1915)
Latin for 'reddish'.

Description
Understorey tree up to 14 m tall and 36 cm dbh. Stipules small. Leaves alternate, simple, penni-veined, whitish below, slightly cordate base. Flowers ca. 4 mm diameter, pale yellow, placed in axillary bundles or racemes. Fruits ca. 9 mm long, green with reddish hairs, dehiscent, 3-lobed capsules.

Ecology
In undisturbed mixed dipterocarp forests up to 800 m altitude. On hillsides and ridges with sandy to clay soils. In secondary forests usually present as a pre-disturbance remnant tree.

Distribution
Sumatra, Borneo (Sarawak, Sabah, East-Kalimantan), Philippines.

Local names in Borneo
Pala briak.