Microcos fibrocarpa (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Microcos fibrocarpa (Masters) Burret

Family: Tiliaceae

Synonyms

• Grewia fibrocarpa Masters
• Microcos reticulata Ridley

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: cenderai asam, cenderai rimba, asam damat (Peninsular), kerudong (Dusun, Sarawak)
• Thailand: phlaa khon (general).

Distribution

India, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.

Uses

The ripe fruits are edible. In Malaysia the fruit pulp is used in curries and chutneys.

Observations

• Tree, 7-16 m tall, branches velvety.
• Leaves oblong to obovate, 13-25 cm × 5-9.5 cm, hairy, 3-nerved from base.
• Flowers yellow-green, 5-merous.
• Fruit a pyriform drupe, ca. 3 cm × 1.5 cm, yellow, velvety.

In evergreen forests at altitudes up to 300 m. In Thailand fruiting in May-August.

Selected sources

• Phengklai, C., 1986. Study in Thai Flora: Tiliaceae. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 16: 2 118.

• Ridley, H.N., 1922-1925. The Flora of the Malay Peninsula. 5 Volumes. Government of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. L. Reeve & Co., London.

Authors

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