hora
Dipterocarpus zeylanicus
Dipterocarpus zeylanicus, commonly known as හොර - Hora in Sinhalese and සරල - Sarala or කිරිපලු - Kiripalu, is a species of Dipterocarpus that is endemic to Sri Lanka. A closely related Indian species is Dipterocarpus turbinatus.
3
Countries
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipterocarpus_zeylanicus
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Family
Dipterocarpaceae
Genus
Dipterocarpus
hora belongs to the family Dipterocarpaceae, order Malvales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Dipterocarpus zeylanicus, commonly known as හොර - Hora in Sinhalese and සරල - Sarala or කිරිපලු - Kiripalu, is a species of Dipterocarpus that is endemic to Sri Lanka. A closely related Indian species is Dipterocarpus turbinatus. The Sri Lankan tree is a large tree that grows up to 40–45 m (131–148 ft) tall and 4–6 m (13–20 ft) in circumference. The bark is light pinkish brown or light yellowish brown. Leaves are big and oval, 5 to 8 inches long. The sharp-edged leaves are covered with silver hairs. Flowers bloom in April and seeds have two wings to spread from wind. The bark contains considerable amounts of gray colour oleoresin. D. zeylanicus can be found in moist low country like Ratnapura, Kaluthara, Galle and Matara Districts and also in the Sinharaja rain forest. The tallest trees...
Dipterocarpus zeylanicus faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and habitat conversion for agriculture, urban development, and logging activities across its native range in Sri Lanka. The species' limited distribution and slow growth rate make it particularly vulnerable to ongoing habitat fragmentation and degradation.
Key Facts
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Dipterocarpus zeylanicus faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and habitat conversion for agriculture, urban development, and logging activities across its native range in Sri Lanka. The species' limited distribution and slow growth rate make it particularly vulnerable to ongoing habitat fragmentation and degradation.
Agricultural expansion
Deforestation and logging
Urban development and infrastructure
Habitat fragmentation
Limited population size and distribution
Found in 3 Countries
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). hora (Dipterocarpus zeylanicus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/hora