Canarium sylvestre (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Canarium sylvestre Gaertner

Protologue: Fruct. sem. pl. 2: 99, t. 102 (1791).

Synonyms

• Canarium simplicifolium Engl. (1883),
• Canarium appendiculatum Lauterb. (1920),
• Canarium branderhorstii Lauterb. (1920).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: kai ia (Seram), kenari hutan, kenari janele (Ambon).

Distribution

The Moluccas and New Guinea.

Uses

The wood is used as kedondong. The seeds are edible. The resin has been used for torches and lighting.

Observations

• A small to medium-sized tree up to 20 m tall, bole branchless for up to 13 m, up to 40 cm in diameter, bark surface grey-brown, inner bark exuding a white resin.
• Stipules persistent, inserted on the petiole, auricle-shaped; leaves with 1-7 leaflets, leaflets with a long-acuminate apex, margin entire, glabrous, with 8-15 pairs of secondary veins.
• Male inflorescence terminal and sometimes with additional axillary ones, paniculate.
• Male flowers c. 3 mm long, stamens 3-6.
• Fruit ovoid, circular to bluntly triangular in cross-section, 30-55 mm × 15-28 mm, glabrous.

C. sylvestre is found in mixed primary and secondary forest and sago palm (Metroxylon sago Rottb.) forest, up to 850 m altitude. The density of the wood is 470-680 kg/m³ at 15% moisture content.

Selected sources

162, 342, 366, 474.

Authors

• M.S.M. Sosef (selection of species)

Main genus page

• Canarium