Green allophylus
Allophylus timoriensis

Family: Sapindaceae

What it is like

A small tree or shrub. It can grow up to 12 m high. The leaves are alternate and have 3 leaflets. The leaf stalk is 3-10 cm long. The leaf blades are narrowly oval and 6-18 cm long. The end leaflet is the largest. The flowers occur as many in branched flower arrangements. These can be 12 cm long. They are at the ends of branches or in the axils of the upper leaves. The flowers are separately male and female but on the same tree. The sexes are mixed in the same flower cluster. The fruit are double and dry. They are orange to red and 7-10 mm across.

There are 190-200 Allophyllus species. Some say there is just one widely variable species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in lowland forest. It is mostly on the coast but can grow up to 1150 m altitude in Samoa. It grows on atolls.

Countries/locations it is found in

American Samoa, Asia, Caroline Islands, China, Chuuk, Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, FSM, Indochina, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Marquesas, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Pacific, Palau, Philippines, Pohnpei, Rotuma, Samoa, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Yap

How it is used for food

Ripe fruit are eaten.

The fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Chebeludes, Fisoa, Kaingga, Kitak, Kutaak, Nggalinggawa

Synonyms

Allophyllus cobbe sensu., non (L.) Raeusch.; Allophyllus marquesensis F.Br.; Allophyllus sublaxis Gillespie; Allophyllus ternatus (Forst.) Radlk.; Allophyllus vitiensis Radlk.; Schmidelia obovata A. Gray; Schmidelia timoriensis DC.;