The physical and chemical seed characteristics of 11 dipterocarp species (four Dipterocarpus, two Dryobalanops and five Shorea species) were quantified to examine variations among species. We measured dry weight, pericarp thickness and concentrations of nitrogen, total phenol, condensed tannin, lignin, lipid, starch and total sugar. Although there was low intraspecific variation among parent trees, each species had unique characteristics. We found significant correlations between chemical defensive compounds (i.e. lignin and total phenol) and nitrogen concentration. However, these relationships were no longer significant when an outlier was removed. Fruiting frequency was not significantly correlated with any chemical compound. Seeds of Shorea species had a higher concentration of lipid than seeds of Dipterocarpus. The implications of variation in the physical and chemical characteristics of dipterocarp seeds are discussed.
