Syzygium calubcob (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Syzygium calubcob (C.B. Robinson) Merr.

Protologue: Philipp. Journ. Sci., Bot. 79: 380 (1951).

Family: Myrtaceae

Synonyms

• Eugenia calubcob C.B. Robinson (1909).

Vernacular names

• Philippines: kalubkob (Tagalog), balanga (Bisaya), barakbak (Ilokano).

Distribution

Endemic in the Philippines, rarely cultivated.

Uses

The edible fruits are tasty. The timber is used for temporary construction work.

Observations

• A small to medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall, bole up to 55(-90) cm in diameter, bark surface greyish to dark red.
• Leaves elliptical-oblong to lanceolate, 7.5-23 cm × 2-10 cm, with 10-15 pairs of distinct secondary veins, petiole up to 6 mm long.
• Flowers subsessile or shortly pedicelled, in inflorescences from below the leaves or terminal, white, calyx c. 15 mm long, with 4 large subpersistent lobes.
• Fruit a subglobose berry, 3-5 cm in diameter with a large flat calyx rim, yellow-green.

S. calubcob is widely distributed and common in thickets and forest at low and medium altitudes.

Selected sources

• Brown, W.H., 1951-1957. Useful plants of the Philippines. Reprint of the 1941-1943 ed. 3 Volumes. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin 10. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines.

• Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna, (various editors), 1986. Vol. 1-4. Natural Resources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources & University of the Philippines, Manila, the Philippines.

• Mansfeld, R. & Schultze Motel, J., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kuturpflanzen. 2nd ed. 4 Volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 1998 pp.

• Merrill, E.D., 1923-1925. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants. 4 Volumes. Government of the Philippine Islands, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Bureau of Printing, Manila.

68, 125, 426, 533, 673. timbers

Authors

• P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen