Terminalia kaernbachii

A deciduous tree reaching 20m tall and wide at a fast growth rate, Terminalia kaernbachii thrives in full sun on light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay well-drained soils. It adapts to mildly acidic to basic pH levels and prefers moist soil. Hardy to UK zone 10.

Description

A large tree. It can be 20-30 m tall. It usually has buttresses. The branches are in layers and the leaves are mostly near the ends of the thick twigs. The twigs are hairy when young. The young leaves are yellow-green. The leaves are large, hairy and reddish brown. The leaf stalks are 2 cm long. The leaves can be 15-28 cm long by 6-13 cm wide. They are thick and with a tip at the end. They taper towards the base. The veins often stick out underneath the leaf and are depressed on the upper surface of the leaf. The flowers occur on spikes which stick upwards. The buds are usually hairy. The flower stalks are shorter then T. impediens. The fruit is very large, up to 11 cm x 8 cm and slightly flattened. They are red and smooth when ripe. The fruit have reddish brown hairs when young. The fruit has a large woody stone inside. The stone inside the fruit splits into 2 more or less equal parts. The seedling leaves are 3-4 and thin.

Edible Uses

The seed can be eaten raw, roasted, or baked, and has an excellent mild, almond-like flavour that improves with light roasting and a little salt. The palatable kernels are the largest known in this plant family, measuring up to 7–8cm long and 3–4cm wide, and weighing between 1.5–10g each. The seed contains up to 50% of a sweet, colourless, non-drying oil and is also a source of vegetable butter. The red, fleshy, ellipsoid fruit grows to 60–175mm long, 40–80mm wide, and 35–60mm thick.

Traditional Uses

The kernel inside the stone of the fruit is edible. It is eaten raw and also roasted or baked. The seed can be pressed to extract oil.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It occurs in lowland areas. They will grow up to 1300 m altitude but do not produce well at this altitude. At Botanical Ark Mossman.

Where It Grows

Asia, Australia, Hawaii, Indonesia, Marquesas, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea*, PNG, Philippines, Pohnpei, SE Asia, Singapore, Solomon Islands*, Sri Lanka, USA,

Cultivation

Okari nut trees are normally grown from seeds. Seeds grow easily but rapidly lose their viability. The trees grow very fast and they can increase in height by up to 2 metres in one year. But trees need to be fairly old before they produce many nuts. Twenty year old trees often only produce a few nuts. Fruit are normally harvested after falling.

Propagation

Seed germinates freely when fresh but loses viability quickly.

Other Uses

The wood is moderately hard but tends toward brittleness. It is occasionally used in furniture construction, though it is rarely logged commercially because the value of the seed takes precedence. Special uses include carbon farming and food forest applications.

Production

Trees grow quickly but nut production may not start for 20 years. The kernel can be 7-8 cm long and 3-4 cm wide. The kernel is made up of coiled leaves which make up the seed. A kernel can weigh up to 10 grams in weight.

Other Information

A very popular and very important nut in Papua New Guinea. It is a cultivated food plant.

Notes

There are about 200-250 Terminalia species. They are tropical.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Alita fasia, Favie, Ghaghimanga, Hogolo, Iuwa, Manavasa, Naklise, Nyiga, Pohon ketapang okari, Sai, Saido, Sarigi, Talia lavata, Talise, Tatalise, Topo, Tukai'o, Uka, Yumu

References (31)

• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 3044
• Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 96
• Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 410
• Blench, R., 2004, Fruits and Arboriculture in the Indo-Pacific Region. Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association Bulletin 24. (Taipei Papers Volume 2) p 40
• Borrell, O.W., 1989, An Annotated Checklist of the Flora of Kairiru Island, New Guinea. Marcellin College, Victoria Australia. p 62

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