Dillenia serrata

Thunb.

Dengilo

DilleniaceaeFruit

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

Fruit - raw. A sweetish, acid flavour. It can be used fresh, or pickled as a substitute for lemons. The fruit is about the size of an orange. The berry-like fruit is about 35mm long and 60mm in diameter.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows in primary forest up to 200 m above sea level.

Asia, Indonesia*, Malaysia, SE Asia,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A tree. It grows 30 m high. The trunk is 70 cm across. The leaves are sword shaped and 20-45 cm long by 8-19 cm wide. There are wings on the leaf stalks. The flowers are 7.5 cm across. The fruit are the size of an orange. They are flattened and 3.5 cm high by 6 cm wide. There can be 5 seeds. The seeds are black.

Other Uses

The wood is used in boat making.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Dillenia serrata is a plant species in the Dilleniaceae family. They are native to countries in South and South-East Asia. They commonly go by the name, elephant apple, similar to most other species in the Dillenia genus.

Notes

There are about 60 Dillenia species.

Names & Synonyms

Dongi, Menampa

Dillenia elliptica Thunb.

References (4)

Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 271
Mead, D., 2014, Types of 'dillenia' on Sulawesi. Sulawesi Language Alliance.
PROSEA (Plant Resources of South East Asia) handbook, Volume 2, 1991, Edible fruits and nuts.
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew