False protea, Field rat walnut
Heliciopsis terminalis

Family: Proteaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 4-8 m high. The trunk is 1.5 m across. The leaves are sword shaped and 13-34 cm long by 4-9 cm wide. The leaves are smooth and do not have teeth. The flowers are white. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. The fruit are almost round and 3-4 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. They have a rough woody covering and a soft centre. There is only one seed.

There are 10 Heliciopsis species. They are in SE Asia and the Himalayas.

Where it is found

It grows between 900-1500 m altitude in Yunnan in China. It grows in subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forest.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw. The seeds are eaten as nuts.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds, nuts

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bicheixikaza, Maiguen

Synonyms

Heliciopsis henryi (Diels) W. T. Wang;