The nut-like structures are actually Heritiera littoralis seeds enclosed in a keeled woody casing. Dungon-late is probably the hardest Malayan timber according to Burkill. The bole was used in ancient times as boat masts and in making dug-out canoes. Buttress roots support the trunk and in mature trees look like wavy boards that curve around the base of the tree. This ironwood thrives in mangrove areas near shorelines but the tree in this picture is thriving well in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija, many kilometers inland where it was brought from Mindoro Island. The owner of this tree fondly recalls a time when a neighbor complained of the twining roots that have invaded his lot. Anxious to appease his neighbor, the owner started hacking away at the exposed roots only to discover later that the blade of his bolo had been dented by the very dense wood...
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