Question

Timber yielding Shorea robusta belongs to the family
(a) Fabaceae
(b) Rubiaceae
(c) Verbenaceae
(d) Dipterocarpaceae

Answer 1

Hint: Most of the species in the family are lofty trees with leathery, evergreen leaves, and aromatic resins. Their clustered, fragrant flowers have five twisted and leathery petals.

Correct step by step answer:
Dipterocarpaceae, a family of largely South Asian and African timber trees, comprising 17 genera and 680 species. Timber yielding plant Shorea robusta commonly known as sal belongs to the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is commercially important timber and is used in construction work eminently suited for railway sleepers.
The family name is taken from the type genus Dipterocarpus is derived from the Greek word di which means two and pteron which means wing and Karpos. which is referred to as fruit so, we can say that the family name refers to the two- winged fruit.

Additional Information:
- Trees of the Dipterocarpaceae family are gigantic and rarely with an abundant resin and ceraceous leaves.
- Their flowers are actinomorphic, hermaphrodite, hypogynous with five sepals, polysepalous, and persistent. The petals are also five in number i.e., polypetalous.
- The stamens are many in one to several whorls, slightly polyandrous and the carpels are three in numbers, syncarpous and superior ovary, and also fruit samara is enclosed in persistent sepals.
- The roots are tap, branched, and grow deep inside. The stem is high, erect, woody, few branches with resin ducts.
- The leaves are simple, entire, voracious, stipulate, and stipules are sometimes small and surrounding the internode.
- The fruits are leathery, woody, indehiscent, surrounded by persistent winged calyx segments. The seeds are non-endospermic.

So, the correct answer is, ’(d) Dipterocarpaceae’.

Note:
- The plants are of great value for resins and timber, oils, camphor, and turpentine of the Dipterocarpaceae family.
- Timber is obtained from Shorea robusta (sal). It is valuable timber for house building, gun carriage manufacture, ships, railway sleepers, etc. it is white- anted proof and is durable underwater.
- Hope parviflora yields excellent timber which is especially useful in pile and bridge construction.
- For boat- building and structural work, the timber of Dipterocarpus turbinatus is used.