Botanical Overview
Shorea ovalifolia is a species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. The dipterocarp family (Dipterocarpaceae) includes large tropical trees with simple, alternate leaves and prominent stipules. The fruits are nuts with two or more enlarged wing-like sepals that aid in wind dispersal. These trees dominate many Southeast Asian rainforest canopies and produce valuable timber and resins. Phytochemical data for this species are limited at present.
General Description
It is a tree endemic to Sri Lanka. It is known as pini-beraliya in Sinhala. It grows along shallow streams in the remaining lowland rain forests of southwestern Sri Lanka. The tree has been extirpated from its original collection locations of the 1860s. Populations were recently found at Ayagama (2020) and Kelinkanda (2023).
Geographic Distribution
Shorea ovalifolia has been recorded in , and Sri Lanka.
Active Compounds
Phytochemical research has identified 2 compounds in this species: betulin, betulinic-acid.
Research Status
Although this species has documented phytochemical constituents, its ethnobotanical and clinical documentation remains incomplete. Systematic pharmacological studies are needed to validate the traditional uses attributed to this species.