Gutta-percha tree
Palaquium amboinense

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A large tree. It grows 40 m tall. The trunk can be 60 cm across. The bark is reddish-brown and rough. It has white milky sap. The leaves are simple and arranged in spirals. They are 7-16 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They are more pale underneath. The flowering shoots are in the axils of leaves. There are 1-6 flowers in a group and they are 4-6 mm long and can be white, yellow or pale green. The fruit is a fleshy berry. It occurs singly and is 4-5 cmlong. It is red to brown. There is one seed in a fruit and it is 1-10 mm across.

There are about 120 Palaquium species. They occur in Asia and the Pacific.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in lowland forests and up to 900 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Indonesia (country/location of origin), Papua New Guinea, SE Asia

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Pohon getah perca

Synonyms

Palaquium javense Burck;