Ganophyllum falcatum
Blume
Termite tree, Scaly Ash, Daintree hickory
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit is eaten raw, specifically the aril (the layer around the seed). The fruit is smooth, oval, and fleshy, turning orange-red when ripe.
Where to Find It
A tropical and subtropical plant. Trees grow naturally in coastal monsoon vine forest. They are often on coastal sand dunes and near freshwater streams. Plants need to be in well drained soil. It needs plenty of moisture. Plants are sensitive to cold. In Indonesia is grow in forests up to 1200 m altitude.
Andamans, Asia, Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nicobar, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, West Africa,
How to Identify
A medium sized tree. It grows 10-25 m high. It has a dense spreading crown. The young branches secrete resin and are scaly. The bark is smooth, light grey and slightly flaky. The leaves are alternate, smooth and divided along their length. The whole leaf is 15-35 cm long divided into 5-10-20 alternate leaflets. The leaflets are 3-10 cm long by 1.5-5 cm wide. The leaflets are curved and are not the same shape on either side of the midrib. They are shiny dark green on top and paler underneath. The leaflets have a pointed tip. The leaf stalk is 4.5-6.5 cm long. The flowers are very small and greenish-white. They are 0.2-0.5 cm across and many flowers occur together in a large panicle which is 10-30 cm long. These are produced in the axils of the upper leaves. Male and female flowers occur on separate branches. The fruit is smooth and oval and fleshy. It has one stone inside. The fruit is 1-1.5 cm long by 0.6-0.8 cm wide. It is orange red when ripe with a pointed tip. There are one or two seeds inside. The seeds are 8 mm long by 12 mm wide.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from seed. The seed should be sown while fresh. They are best if soaked for 24 hours.
Medicinal Uses
Traditionally used by local peoples (FPI).
Other Uses
The seeds are the source of an oil called 'Arangan oil'. A solid fat at room temperature, it is used for illumination. The wood is very strong and durable. It is used for bridges, house construction etc.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Ganophyllum falcatum, commonly known as the scaly ash, is an evergreen rainforest tree. It grows up to 32 metres high and has rough, flaky bark. The species was described by German-Dutch botanist Carl Ludwig Blume in 1851 based on plant material collected from the coast of New Guinea.It is native to Africa, the Andaman Islands, Asia, Malesia and northern Australia. The ovoid fruits are consumed by fruit pigeons and cassowaries.
Production
Plants can be fast growing. In Australia, trees flower from October to January and fruit occur from December to February. (Plants flower at the beginning of the wet season.)
Notes
There are 2 Ganophyllum species.
Names & Synonyms
Pohon kayu madu, Pohon mangir
References (25)
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