Ailanthus integrifolia
Lam.
White siris
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves
Young leaves are boiled and eaten.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows from sea level to 900 m above sea level. In Sikkim it occurs between 450-700 m above sea level.
Asia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, SE Asia, Sikkim, Solomon Islands, Vietnam,
How to Identify
A tree. It can grow to 55 m tall. The trunk can be 65 cm across. The bark is smooth and light brown. The leaves are compound with 2-9 leaflets. The leaflets are 10-40 cm long. They can be hairy underneath. The fruit are narrowly oval and 22 cm long.
How to Grow
A plant mainly of the wet, lowland tropics and subtropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,200 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 30 - 38°c, but can tolerate 4 - 42°c. It can be killed by temperatures of 2°c or lower. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 3,000 - 4,000mm, but tolerates 2,500 - 4,500mm. Requires a sunny position. Prefers a moist but well-drained, medium to light soil. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 7. A fast-growing tree.
Medicinal Uses
The leaves have been shown to have some medicinal benefit.
Other Uses
The wood is used for local house building and furniture manufacture.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Ailanthus integrifolia, white siris, is a tree in the family Simaroubaceae. The specific epithet integrifolia is from the Latin meaning "entire leaves", referring to the leaflet margins.
Notes
This detail about edible leaves needs checking. The leaves have been shown to have some medicinal benefit.
Names & Synonyms
Ai lanit, Balokas, Bunamu, Gokul, Kayu ruris, Makaisa, Malasapsap, Pohon langit
References (1)
- Leach, G. J., 1988, Bush Food Plants of the Blackwater and Karawari Rivers Area, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. Science in New Guinea 14(2). p 98
