Dipterocarpaceae

Large forest trees with alternate, leathery leaves; flowers are small and unremarkable, but the fruit is unmistakable — a single nut fitted with two to five long wing-like sepal extensions that spiral it to the ground like a helicopter blade.

Dominant, often gigantic canopy trees of South and Southeast Asian rainforests, valued for both timber and resin — sal (Shorea robusta) is one of India's most economically and culturally important trees.