Oil- and resin-producing plants
Besides producing timber, trees are also a source of minor forest products such as oils and resins. The dipterocarp and conifer trees are the most commonly tapped. In Malaysia, people have been collecting these forest resources for centuries and using them for household items and for food. A small resin industry developed in the first few decades of the 20th century, with both the British and the Chinese exporting resin to countries in Southeast Asia as well as to Europe. Today, resins are employed in the manufacture of varnish and lacquer, whilst oils are used in the manufacture of cosmetics, soap and food flavouring.
- Information in the full article includes
- Oils from plants
- Plant resins
- Traditional and commercial uses
