Canarium vrieseanum

Family: Burseraceae

What it is like

A small tree. It grows 15-25 m high. It can be 30-45 cm across in the trunk. Buttresses, if they occur, are small. The small branches are slender and can be covered with brown hairs. The leaf structure (stipule) on the leaf stalk can be 1.5 cm from the base and shaped like ribbons. They can be 1 cm long. The leaves are divided into 3-5 pairs of leaflets which are produced opposite each other. The leaves are about 80 cm long. The leaflets are oblong and 7-30 cm long by 3-12 cm wide. The base of the leaflets is rounded and slightly unequal. The flower cluster can be 20-30 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. The flowers have 3 white petals about 7 mm long. The fruiting cluster can point upwards and have 5-10 fruit. The fruit are oval and round in cross section. They are 1.7-3.2 cm long by 0.7-2.2 cm across. The fruit maintain a velvety appearance. The shell is nearly smooth and with 6 ribs. There is one seed inside.

There are 80-95 Canarium species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. Only occurs from Mindoro and neighbouring islands in the Philippines. It grows from sea level up to 500 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Indonesia, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia

How it is used for food

The kernels of the nuts are eaten raw or roasted.

Edible parts

Seeds kernel, nuts

How it is grown

Trees are grown from seeds.

Trees flower from July to December and fruit occur from December to February.

Its other names

Local names

Gapog, Gisau, Are, Solo, Sagasa

Synonyms

Canarium dolichophyllum Merr.; Canarium sibulanense Elm.; Canarium tongcalingii Elm.; Canarium villosiflorum Elm.; Canarium williamsii C.B.Robinson;