Ngali
Canarium harveyi

Family: Burseraceae

What it is like

A small or medium sized tree which can be 3-21 m high. The small branches are angular. They are 5-8 mm thick. The youngest parts are brown and hairy. The leaves have 2-4 pairs of leaflets and a leaflet at the end. The leaves are 40 cm long and the leaflets 4-20 cm long by 2-8 cm wide. The leafy structure (stipule) at the base of the leaf stalk is ear shaped and falls off. Male and female flower clusters occur separately on the same tree. The male flower cluster is 10-20 cm long and with many flowers. The female flower cluster is 4-9 cm long and with 6-7 flowers. The fruiting stalk is 2-12 cm long and it has 1-4 fruit. The fruit are green at first but become purple to black at maturity. The fruit have 3 cells but they may not all have seeds. Fruit are large in the Solomon Islands and small in Fiji.

There are 80-95 Canarium species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in dense forest from sea level to 600 m altitude. It is usually in areas with an annual rainfall of 1800-4000 mm per year. The annual average temperatures are 23-28°C.

Countries/locations it is found in

American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Niue, Pacific (country/location of origin), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Wallis & Futuna

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten. They are also smoked and preserved to eat later.

An important nut in the Solomon Islands. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Nuts

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The seed need to be sown fresh.

Seedlings grown quickly. They can be transplanted into the field after 3-5 months. Flowers have been recorded from February to June and fruits between April to December.

Its other names

Local names

'Ai, Ai, Kaunicina, Kaunigai, Mafoa, Makali, Nangai, Nangae, Angai, Gamagamba, Nyinga, Nolepo

Synonyms

Canarium mafoa Christopherson;