Palala vines
Cnestis palala

Family: Connaraceae

What it is like

A large shrub. It lies over and can be a creeper. It can be 2-10 m tall. The younger parts are hairy. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. The leaflets are in pairs but with odd ones among them. The leaflets are 3-8 cm long. The flowers are small and yellow. They have a scent. The fruit is a dry pod with a velvety covering on the outside and bright red inside.

There are 13 Cnestis species. 12 are in Africa.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. In Hainan in China it grows between 200-300 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andamans, Asia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Andor balimbing, Pinan keroh, Semilat padang, Taw-kyet-louk, Truongkhe

Synonyms

Cnestis annamensis Gagnep.; Cnestis diffusa Blanco; Cnestis flaminea Griff.; Cnestis flammea Kurz; Cnestis foliosa Planch. ex Kurz; Cnestis ignea Planch. ex Kurz; Cnestis palala subsp. diffusa (Blanco) Andreas; Cnestis platantha Griff.; Cnestis ramiflora Griff.; Connarus foliosus Jack [invalid]; Thysanus palala Lour.;