Elaeocarpus glaber
Blume
Bland quandong tree
Wikimedia Commons - Koorders, S. H.; Valeton, Theodoric
President and Fellows of Harvard College
President and Fellows of Harvard College
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves
The fruit can be eaten though they have little taste, and the leaves are also edible. The fruit are sometimes sold in markets.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows near rivers below 1,000 m above sea level. It can be on swampy sites. It can be on sandy of clay soils and also on limestone.
Asia, Indonesia*, Malaysia, Pacific, Philippines, Sarawak, SE Asia,
How to Identify
A tree. It grows 35 m tall. The trunk is 1.6 m across. The leaves are alternate and simple. The leaf stalks are long. The edges of the leaves usually have teeth. The leaves are oval and 5-22 cm long by 3-10 cm wide. The flowering stalks are 15 cm long. The flowers are 7 mm across. They are white to yellow. The fruit are oval and fleshy. They are 3 cm long and orange to red.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from seeds.
Propagation: The seed of most species in this genus is covered by a hard, woody shell and can be very slow and erratic to germinate, sometimes taking 2 years or more. Filing down the shell, or cracking it (being very careful not to damage the seed) in order to allow the ingress of moisture can help to greatly speed up germination. Sow the seed in containers in light shade. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out, Cuttings of almost ripe shoots, in a sandy soil in a frame. The leaves should be left on the stem.. Many species strike readily from cuttings.
Medicinal Uses
No medicinal uses documented.
Other Uses
The wood is unsuitable as a timber. We have no more information on the specific properties of the wood of this species, however the following is a general description of the wood from this genus:- The heartwood is light-yellowish white to pink-brown, it is not distinctly demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is moderately fine and even, with straight to shallowly interlocked grain. The wood is soft to moderately hard; light in weight to moderately heavy; weak; not very durable. It seasons fairly slowly with slight end and surface checking; shrinkage is fairly low. It is easy to resaw and cross-cut; planing is easy and leaves a moderately smooth finish; nailing properties are good. A general purpose wood, it is suitable for purposes such as general planking, shuttering, boxes, crates, wooden pallets, match splints, veneer and plywood.
Other Information
The fruit are sometimes sold in markets.
Notes
There are about 360 Elaeocarpus species mostly in the tropics.
Names & Synonyms
Bengkinang, Katilampa, Katulampa, Kemurik, Pabom, Pohon genitri tawar, Surugam, Talilampa, Tamang
References (6)
- Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 2693
- Chai, P. P. K. (Ed), et al, 2000, A checklist of Flora, Fauna, Food and Medicinal Plants. Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak. Forestry Malaysia & ITTO. p 159, 167
- PROSEA (Plant Resources of South East Asia) handbook, Volume 2, 1991, Edible fruits and nuts.
- Slik, F., www.asianplant.net
- Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 257
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
