Diplodiscus paniculatus

Turcz.

Calobo, Balubo, Balobo, Barobo

MalvaceaeFruitSeeds/Nuts

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds

The seed kernels are boiled or roasted and eaten. Seeds are rich in starch.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. They are very common and widely distributed in the Philippines in the forests from northern Luzon to southern Mindanao at low and medium altitudes.

Asia, Pacific, Philippines*, SE Asia,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Fiji, Micronesia, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Palau, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa, Yemen

How to Identify

A medium sized tree. It grows 20 m high. The trunk can be 80 cm across. It is an irregular shape and has buttresses at the base. The leaves are alternate. They are smooth and pointed at both ends. The flowers are small and whitish or yellow. They are borne in large compound flower arrangements. The fruit is an almost round capsule. It is 2 cm across. There are ridges along it. The fruit are yellowish when ripe. The seeds are rich in starch.

Other Uses

The bark is used for making rope. The wood is used for light construction and household utensils.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Diplodiscus paniculatus is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae sensu lato or Tiliaceae. It is found only in the Philippines. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Notes

The family may be Tiliaceae. Also put in the family Brownlowiaceae.

Names & Synonyms

Baroba

References (12)

Brown, W.H., 1920, Wild Food Plants of the Philippines. Bureau of Forestry Bulletin No. 21 Manila. p 110
Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 31(1):235. 1858
Carig, Elizabeth T., 2020, Guidebook on Native Trees within the Quirino Forest Landscape. Plaridel, Bulacan, St. Andrew Publishing House. p 32
Coronel, R.E., 1982, Fruit Collections in the Philippines. IBPGR Newsletter p 6
Davis, S.D., Heywood, V.H., & Hamilton, A.C. (eds), 1994, Centres of plant Diversity. WWF. Vol 1 or 2. p 388
Ferns, Useful Tropical Plants
Lugod, G.C. and de Padua L.S., 1979, Wild Food Plants in the Philippines. Vol. 1. Univ. of Philippines Los Banos. p 74
Menninger, E.A., 1977, Edible Nuts of the World. Horticultural Books. Florida p 116
Monsalud, M.R., Tongacan, A.L., Lopez, F.R., & Lagrimas, M.Q., 1966, Edible Wild Plants in Philippine Forests. Philippine Journal of Science. p 550
Verheij, E. W. M. and Coronel, R.E., (Eds.), 1991, Plant Resources of South-East Asia. PROSEA No 2. Edible fruits and nuts. Pudoc Wageningen. p 329
Wickens, G.E., 1995, Edible Nuts. FAO Non-wood forest products. FAO, Rome. p157
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew