Lewer
Semecarpus cassuvium
Family: Anacardiaceae
What it is like
It grows to a reasonably large tree 30-40 m tall. It can sometimes be a small tree. The trunk can vary between 3 and 40 cm. The leaves are placed in a spiral around the branches. The leaves can be 22 cm long and 10 cm wide. The leaf tapers to the tip and the base is wedge shaped. There are 10-26 pairs of side veins. The leaf stalk can be 4 cm long. The flower clusters are produced at the ends of branches. These can be 10-30 cm long or longer. The side branches of the flower cluster hang downwards. The flowers are white. The fruit is 5-6 cm across, green when young and dark red when ripe. The inside flesh around the seed is purple.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It occurs in coastal areas. It occurs from sea level to 600 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, SE Asia
How it is used for food
The kernel inside the nut is eaten after cooking. The very young leaves are also recorded as being eaten raw. The fruit stalk is eaten. CAUTION Fumes from burning (cooking) nuts and probably from other parts of the plant can irritate the skin. The sap is poisonous.
Fruit are sold in markets. A cultivated nut tree of some importance in the Morehead area of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea.
Edible parts
Fruit, kernel, leaves, nuts
How it is grown
Trees are grown from nuts which germinate and establish fairly easily.
Fruiting is seasonal.
Its other names
Local names
Rotta, Enga