To'oma
Terminalia megalocarpa
Family: Combretaceae
What it is like
A tree which can be up to 40 m tall. The leaves are at the tips of twigs and tend to hang downwards. The leaf stalks are quite long (3-7 cm). The young plant parts have small hairs. The leaves are broadly oval and 9-18 cm long by 5-9 cm wide. They are wedge shaped at the base. The old leaves turn yellow. The flowers are 2 mm long. The fruit is large and 4-8 cm long. The fruit inside is thin shelled and the embryo inside has 3 or 4 twisted cotyledons. The flesh is green or yellow.
There are about 200-250 Terminalia species. They are tropical.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It occurs in lowland forests.
Countries/locations it is found in
Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
How it is used for food
The outer flesh of the fruit is edible. The seeds are boiled, soaked and then boiled again.
A selected yellow fleshed form is eaten in the Solomon Islands. It is a cultivated food plant.
Edible parts
Fruit, nuts, seeds
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Dausia, Mo