Canarium hirsutum

Willd.

Kim, White dhup

Burseraceae Edible: Seeds, Nuts Potential hazards — see below 6 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Canarium hirsutum is a tree in the family Burseraceae. The specific epithet hirsutum comes from the Latin meaning 'bristly', referring to the rough hairs of the fruit.

Description

A tree. It grows 30 m high. The trunk is straight. It is 60 cm across. The outer bark is greyish brown and finely cracked. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. The leaves are arranged in spirals. There are 9-27 leaflets. The leaflet stalks have sharp edges. The leaflets taper at the tip. The flowers are in groups in the axils of leaves. The flowers are 12 mm long. The fruit are oval and 2-6 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. They can have irritating brown hairs.

Edible Uses

The seeds or nuts are eaten.

Medicinal Uses

A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of stomach troubles.

Known Hazards

The fruit surface bears irritating brown hairs.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in tropical forests. It occasionally grows up to 1,800 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, SE Asia, Solomon Islands,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seeds.

Propagation

Seed - we have no specific information for this species but seeds of this genus generally have a hard seed coat and germinate erratically. Filing away some of the seed coat to allow moisture to enter more readily, without damaging the seed, will encourage a faster and more even germination.

Other Uses

The tree is the source of Dammar Sengai, one of the hardest Malayan resins, used for varnishes. The resin is produced rather abundantly. Dammar is a hard resin, obtained from various trees of Southeast Asia. Traditionally, it is used for purposes such as caulking boats and baskets, as an adhesive, a medicine, as a fuel for torches and sometimes in foods. Dammar has many commercial applications, though many of these uses are less important nowadays due to the advent of synthetic materials. Commercially, it is an ingredient of inks, lacquers, oil paints, varnishes etc, and is used as a glazing agent in foods. Harvesting of the resin commences when the bole is around 25cm in diameter (approx 20 years old). Triangular cuts (becoming circular with age) are arranged in vertical rows around the trunk. The cuts are several centimetres wide at first, but become enlarged at every tapping and eventually become holes of 15 - 20cm in depth and width. The average number of holes for a tree about 30 metres tall and 60 - 80cm in diameter is 9 - 11 in each of 4 - 5 vertical rows. For the higher holes, the tapper climbs the tree supported by a rattan belt and using the lower holes as footholds. The exuded resin is allowed to dry on the tree before it is collected. The frequency with which the tree is visited to refreshen the cut varies from once a week to once a month, depending on how far the tree is from the village. Tapping can continue for 30 years. The wood is said to be soft to rather hard. The wood of most species in the genus Canarium is usually soft to moderately hard and probably not very durable in exposed positions. It is not, therefore of any great commercial value and is only used locally or not at all.

Notes

There are 80-95 Canarium species.

Synonyms

Canariopsis altissima Miq.Canariopsis hirsuta Miq.Canariopsis hispida Miq.Canarium ahernianum Merr.Canarium altissimum BlumeCanarium bersamifolium G. PerkinsCanarium costulatum ElmerCanarium ellipsoideum Merr.Canarium greshoffii Koord.Canarium hirsutum var. leeuwenii Leenh.Canarium hirsutum var. majus Hassk.Canarium hispidum BlumeCanarium leeuwenii H. J. Lam.Canarium multijugum H. J. Lam.Canarium multipinnatum LlanosCanarium nervosum ElmerCanarium oxygonum Quisumb. & Merr. Canarium palawense Lauterb.Canarium racemosum Merr.Canarium redlkoferi G. PerkinsCanarium riedelianum Engl.Canarium robustum Merr.Canarium subcordatum Ridl.Canarium warburgianum G. PerkinsPimela altissima Blume

Also Known As

Bakayan, Breadlanka, Damar degun, Dhup, Dulit, Hagushus, Kambayau burng, Kanari jaki, Ki bonteng, Mede-mede, Merdongdong, Pagsahingin

References (8)

Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 1980 (As Canarium hirsutum var. leeuwenii)
Evans, B. R, 1999, Edible nut Trees in Solomon Islands. A variety collection of Canarium, Terminalia and Barringtonia. ACIAR Technical Report No. 44 96pp
French, B.R., 2010, Food Plants of Solomon Islands. A Compendium. Food Plants International Inc. p 163 (As Canarium hirsutum var. leeuwenii)
Slik, F., www.asianplant.net
Soepadmo, E. & Wong, K. M., (Eds.), 1995, Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak. Volume One. ITTO, Govt. Malaysia. p 55

Show all 8 references

Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 175
Walter, A. & Sam C., 2002, Fruits of Oceania. ACIAR Monograph No. 85. Canberra. p 278 (As Canarium hirsutum var. leeuwenii)
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew