Ifiifi, Atuna tree
Atuna racemosa

Family: Chrysobalanaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It can be 20 m tall. The trunk is 30-60 cm across. It has buttresses. The leaves are simple and entire. The leaves bear 2 glands on the side of the midrib near the base. The leaves and oblong and blunt at the base and slightly pointed at the top. The flowers are pressed closely together. The flower petals are white but can be tinged with purple near the base. The fruit are egg shaped. The fruit are brown and almost round. They are 8-10 cm across.

There are 8 Atuna species. The fruit are used as putty to seal canoes.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Fiji it grows from sea level to about 500 m altitude. It grows in forest and grassland. It occurs in Camarines, Albay, Masbate, Palawan and Mindanao in the Philippines. In Papua New Guinea it grows in the islands, Morobe and Western Provinces.

Countries/locations it is found in

American Samoa, Asia, Brunei, Caroline Islands, Fiji, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Micronesia, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pohnpei, Rotuma, Samoa, SE Asia, Thailand, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna

How it is used for food

The fruit are used to scent coconut oil. They are also used to flavour fish. The young fruit are eaten partially raw with cooked fish. The seeds are eaten with fish.

Edible parts

Fruit - flavouring, seeds, fruit

How it is grown

The trees produce flowers and fruit throughout the year.

Its other names

Local names

Cheritem, Makita, Pohon rasemosa, Tamba, Tabon-tabon

Synonyms

Cyclandrophora laurina (A. Gray) Kostermans; Parinarium laurinum A. Gray; Parinarium margarata A. Gray; Parinari glaberrima Hassk.; Parinari hahlii Warb.; Parinari laurina A. Gray; Parinari macrophylla Teijsm. & Binn.; Parinari margarata A. Gray ex J.W. Parham; and others