Nephelium melanomiscum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Nephelium melanomiscum Radlk.

Family: Sapindaceae

Synonyms

• Nephelium xerospermoides Radlk.

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: parih, kalas, kalomanggis (Sarawak)
• Philippines: loo-ou (Bagobo).

Distribution

Borneo and the Philippines (Mindanao).

Uses

The sarcotesta around the seed is edible but sour.

Observations

• Tree, up to 20 m tall, trunk 36 cm diameter, buttresses high, thin, up to 1.20 m tall.
• Leaves 1-foliolate to 5-jugate.
• Fruit an ellipsoid capsule, ca. 4 cm × 2.5 cm, densely fulvous puberulous, densely set with up to 2 mm long appendages, pink to red.

In primary and secondary forests on slopes, river banks and hill tops, on fertile alluvial soil, up to 400(-1400) m altitude.

Selected sources

• Leenhouts, P.W., 1986. A taxonomic revision of Nephelium (Sapindaceae). Blumea 31: 373-436.

Authors

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