Goi nui
Aglaia silvestris

Family: Meliaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows up to 25-30 m high. The trunk is 30-40 cm across. It can have buttresses. The leaves are compound and alternate. The leaves are large and have leaves along the stalk and one at the end. They are 18-65 cm long. They are covered with pale brown scales. There are 5-19 leaflets. These are 7-24 cm long by 2-7 cm wide. The flowers are in a group in the axils of leaves. The flowers have 5 or 6 petals. They are yellow and 3-5 mm long. The fruit is a round scaly berry. It is yellow or orange. They are about 3 cm long. There are 1 or 2 brown seeds.

There are about 104 Aglaia species. They occur in Asia and the Pacific.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in deep, fertile, wet soils. It grows up to 2,100 m above sea level. It grows in evergreen and mixed deciduous forests usually near streams. It can be on limestone or sandstone bedrock.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andamans, Asia, Australia, Cambodia, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit is eaten. The roots are used for soup. The young leaves and flowers are eaten as a relish with fish.

Edible parts

Fruit - aril, roots, leaves, flowers

How it is grown

Plants are grown from fresh seed.

In Thailand it flowers almost all year round.

Its other names

Local names

Chan cha mot, Chan samot

Synonyms

Aglaia acuminata Merr.; Aglaia baillonii (Pierre) Pierre ex Pellegr.; Aglaia cedreloides Harms; Aglaia cochinchinensis Pierre; [Invalid] Aglaia forstenii Miq.; Aglaia ganggo Miq.; Aglaia mannii (King ex Brandis) S. S. Jain & R. C. Gaur; Aglaia micropora Merr.; Aglaia multiflora Merr.; Aglaia obliqua C. T. White & W. D. Francis; Aglaia pyramidata Hance; Aglaia pyrrholepis Miq.; Amoora ganggo (Miq.) Kurz; Epicharis baillonii Pierre; ? Lansium silvestre (Rumph.) Roem.;