Xerospermum laevigatum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Xerospermum laevigatum Radlk.

Family: Sapindaceae

Synonyms

• Xerospermum acuminatum Radlk.
• Xerospermum unijugum Radlk.

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: rambutan pachat, gong (Peninsular)

Distribution

Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatra), Brunei.

Uses

The sarcotesta around the seed is edible and of good flavour. The pulped stone and the leaves are used to alleviate stomachache.

Observations

• Tree, up to 36 m tall, trunk diameter up to 1 m.
• Leaves 2-jugate.
• Flowers 5-merous.
• Fruit a globose to ellipsoid capsule, ca. 2-4 cm × 1.5-2.5 cm, pinkish, densely aculeate.
• Seed covered by a thin yellow sarcotesta.

Usually in primary forests, on dryland, on sandy clay or sandstone, up to 700 m altitude. In western Borneo, spp. acuminatum (Radlk.) Leenh. occurs in peat swamp forest; it has distinctly acuminate leaflets.

Selected sources

• Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. 2nd ed. 2 Volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2444 pp.

• Leenhouts, P.W., 1983. A taxonomic revision of Xerospermum (Sapindaceae). Blumea 28: 389-401.

Authors

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