Its contrasting red streaks on a dark heartwood base have evoked the common names ‘Tigerwood’ and ‘Snakewood’. Although these common names are fitting descriptions of the defined straight stripes common in Dillenia, such names are often loosely used and can describe widely different species from different continents. Dillenia is most commonly found in South-East Asia, with
instances of the species also growing naturally in the rainforests of North Queensland.