Kerdas, Keredas
Archidendron bubalinum

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A small tree. Occasionally it can grow to 20 m high. The trunk is 25 cm across. The bark is smooth or with tiny cracks. The small branches are rounded, red and glossy. The leaf stalk is 0.5-4 cm long. The leaves are twice divided. The first leaflets are one pair 2-10 cm long and these have one or two pairs of second leaflets 5.5-16 cm long by 3-10 cm wide. The flower cluster is at the end of the branch or in the axils of leaves towards the ends of the branches. These are made up of about 5 flowers clustered closely together in a head and these are white and have a sweet smell. The fruit is a pod which can be green or red but ripens to yellow outside and reddish inside. The pods are 3.5-10 cm long by 1.5-2.5 cm wide and can be straight or curved. They are stiff and woody. They split open along both sides. The seeds are black and fill the entire cavity of the pod. The seeds in the centre are like a disk while those near the end are like a top.

There are 90 Archidendron species. The seeds contain large amounts of djenkol acid. Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in rainforest often amongst regrowth. Plants are mostly from sea level to 100 m but they can be up to 900 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Thailand

How it is used for food

The seeds are used for flavouring food. They need treatment. They have a smell like garlic. CAUTION: The seeds possibly affect the kidneys. The fruit are recorded as eaten.

Edible parts

Seeds - flavouring, fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seed should be sown fresh. If dry they should be soaked before planting.

Trees fruit from January to October.

Its other names

Local names

Kabau, Kaladeh, Sikabau

Synonyms

Albizia acradenia Miq.; Inga bubalina Jack; Pithecellobium bubalinum (Jack) Benth.; Pithecellobium ellipticum auct. non (Bl.) Hassk.; Pithecelobium lobatum auct. (non Benth.) Ridley; and others