SHOREA

genus of plants in the family Dipterocarpaceae, comprising 180 species of tall South Asian evergreen trees that are valuable for their timber. Sal (S. robusta) is perhaps the second most important timber tree (after teak) in the Indian subcontinent. Sal and S. talura are also grown for the culture of lac scale insects that produce the resin used in shellac. S. macrophylla produces illipe nuts, which contain a fat used as a substitute for cocoa butter. Dumala (S. oblongifolia), a very large tree, yields dammar resin.