Dipterocarpaceae
- noun
- /ˌdɪptəroʊˈkɑːrpeɪˌsiː/
- Specialized
- In Southeast Asia, a single tree family with over 450 species that share commercial wood properties, the Dipterocarpaceae, dominates the species composition of the forests.
Examples
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For example, trees of the family Dipterocarpaceae dominate the canopies of hyperdiverse rainforests in Southeast Asia, and thus a seminal review of their biology by Ashton (1988) revealed a great deal about how these forests support so many species.
Academic text (2005) -
At all three sites, the Dipterocarpaceae, the dominant Asian family of trees, accounts for the greatest proportion of the wood volume and canopy trees, and often it accounts for the greatest number of species compared with other families.
Academic text (1992) -
In addition, three species of Shorea (Dipterocarpaceae), which are readily recognized in the field, were relatively common as trees but had no saplings within the transects at Lambir.
Academic text (1992) -
The Dipterocarpaceae are crucial for the timber industry in Southeast Asia due to their high-quality wood.
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Forests dominated by the Dipterocarpaceae provide important habitats for various wildlife species.
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Many traditional medicines are derived from the aromatic oils extracted from Dipterocarpaceae trees.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Dipterocarpaceae = dipterocarp (opaque) = dipterocarp + aceae
The form is a Latinized scientific family name formed by adding the specialized suffix '-aceae' to 'dipterocarp', which is technical and not transparently meaningful to general learners.
Etymology
Dipterocarpaceae comes from Greek parts di- 'two', pteron 'wing', and karpos 'fruit', with -aceae meaning a plant family. So the name means a 'family of trees with two-winged fruits', which fits these tropical trees whose seeds have two wings and which are valued for timber and resins.
