Dipterocarpus is the third-largest and most diverse genus among the Dipterocarpaceae. The species are well known for timber, but less acknowledged for use in traditional herbal medicine.[1] The genus has about 70 species,[2] occurring in South Asia and Southeast Asia, from Sri Lanka and India to the Philippines.[3] It is an important component of dipterocarp forests. Its generic name comes from Greek and means "two-winged fruits".
The greatest diversity of Dipterocarpus species occurs on Borneo, with many endemic to the island. The oldest fossil of the genus, and Dipterocarpaceae, is from the latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Intertrappean Beds of India.[4]
The genus is of considerable importance as timber trees, sold under the trade name Keruing, although not as important as Shorea species. D. turbinatus, gurjan, is a major commercial timber species found in the Andaman islands. Gurjan wood is very important for making plywood.