Calophyllum inophyllum

Beauty leaf, Beach Calophyllum

Clusiaceae Edible: Fruit, Caution, Seeds - oil, Seeds Some parts mildly toxic — see hazards 5,577 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Source: Wikipedia

Calophyllum inophyllum is a large evergreen plant, commonly called tamanu, oil-nut, mastwood, beach calophyllum or beautyleaf. It is native to the Old World Tropics, from Africa through Asia to Australia and Polynesia. Due to its importance as a source of timber for the traditional shipbuilding of large outrigger ships, it has been spread in prehistoric times by the migrations of the Austronesian peoples to the islands of Oceania and Madagascar, along with other members of the genus Calophyllum. It has since been naturalized in regions of the East African coast. It is also a source of the culturally important tamanu oil.

Description

A medium sized tree. It grows up to 20 m tall. The branches spread out. The bark is light yellow-grey and smooth. The leaves are opposite and leathery. They are glossy green. The leaves are oval and 10-15 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. They have many fine side veins which come out at right angles to the midrib. The flowering structure is unbranched and they are in the axils of leaves. The flowers are white and have both sexes. They are 2-2.5 cm across. The fruit is round, ending in a point. It is 2.5 cm across and yellowish. It has a woody layer around the seed.

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit and seeds are eaten fresh, and unripe fruit are pickled. The seed oil is edible after refining and removing toxic components.

Traditional Uses

The oil is edible after refining and removing toxic components. The ripe fruit and seeds are eaten. The unripe fruit are pickled. Caution: The seed, sap and leaves are poisonous.

Medicinal Uses

The seed oil is used in traditional medicine and is sometimes burnt in lamps.

Known Hazards

The seed, sap, and leaves are poisonous and must be avoided.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is native to tropical Asia and the Pacific. It often grows near water and near the sea shore. It can tolerate salt spray. It can be near mangroves. It needs sandy well drained soil. It grows wild or cultivated on open waste sites on hills, seashores, sandy wastelands; 100(-200) m altitude in China. It grows up to 400 m above sea level in Fiji. It grows in places with an annual average temperature of 18-33°C. It is damaged by drought and frost. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

Where It Grows

Africa, American Samoa, Andamans, Aruba, Asia, Australia, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Cambodia, Caroline Islands, China, Chuuk, Cook Islands, Djibouti, East Africa, East Timor, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, French Polynesia, FSM, Ghana, Guam, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan (Ryukyu Is.), Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Marquesas, Marshall Islands, Mascarenes, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Niue, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Polynesia, Rotuma, Samoa, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis & Futuna, West Africa, Yap, Zambia,

Cultivation

They are grown from seed which must be sown fresh. Seeds germinate easily but slowly. Seedlings can be transplanted into the field after 5-6 months.

Propagation

Seed - sow in a shaded position in a nursery seedbed. Removal of the endocarp significantly reduces the germination period to about 22 days, it also increases the germination rate and improves seedling growth and development. Natural regeneration usually occurs near the mother tree and provides young plants that can be transplanted to other places.

Other Uses

The bark contains around 15% tannin. Mature and dried seed contains 50 - 60%, occasionally up to 73%, of a bluish yellow to dark green viscous oil with a disagreeable flavour. The oil may contain up to 30% resinous materials. It is used for illumination while the purified oil can be used in soap production and as a carrier oil, skin moisturizer and hair oil in cosmetics. For seed oil extraction, the seeds are shelled. Initially the kernels contain little apparent oil, but after about a month the kernels turn chocolate brown and become sticky with oil. They are chopped, dried, pounded and then boiled. The oil is skimmed from the top of the boiling water. The seeds may also be crushed to a paste and the oil is then drained off. Industrially the oil is extracted by cold expression, and is not refined so as to conserve all medicinal properties. The fruit is crushed to yield an oil that is used to scent coconut oil and is applied to the hair to make it long and black. (Is this a distinct oil from that obtained from the seed?. The stones of the fruit are used as marbles. The sticky sap (latex?) is used for caulking canoes. The old, decayed fruits are skewered on coconut midribs and then burned as a traditional form of lighting. The mature fruit is burned as a mosquito repellent. The heartwood is pinkish to reddish brown; it is clearly demarcated from the 5 - 10cm wide band of pale sapwood. The grain is interlocked, spiral or wavy; the texture moderately coarse and uneven. The wood is medium-weight to moderately heavy; moderately hard; moderately durable, even under water, being resistant to dry wood borers and moderately resistant to fungi and termites. It is somewhat slow to season, with a high risk of distortion and a slight risk of checking; once dry it is stable in service. The wood is often rather difficult to saw, and sawn surfaces tend to be woolly; it is not easy to plane because of spiral or interlocked grain; filling is recommended to obtain a good finish; nailing and screwing are good, but pre-boring is required; gluing is correct for interior use. It is not recommended to use this timber for lengths over 3 metres because it is often bent. Throughout its area of distribution the wood is used for the construction of canoes and small boats, masts, keels, knees and pulley blocks. The wood is also used for construction, carpentry, flooring, stairs, furniture and cabinet work, cart-wheel hubs, vessels and musical instruments. Planted in hedges and as a wind break. The tree is sometimes used in reforestation schemes.

Production

Young seedlings grow rapidly. The tree grows slowly. The seeds yield oil to 20--30%, but seed kernels to 50-60%.

Other Information

It is not known if it is used for food in Papua New Guinea. It is only a very minor or incidental food. It is cultivated.

Notes

There are about 187-200 Calophyllum species. They are evergreen trees of the tropics. The seed oil is fragrant and sometimes burnt in lamps. It is used in medicine.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Seed	27.7	—	—	6.4	—	—	—	—
Fruit	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Synonyms

Balsamaria inophyllum (Linnaeus) Loureilloand others

Also Known As

Ai-sampulo, Alexandrian Laurel, Anganaro, Bagura, Barura, Beach kalofilum, Bentangor bunga, Bitu, Btaches, Fetau, Foraha, Forahabe, Funa, Hefau, Hong hou ke, Honne, Hpang, Isho, Itakamaka, Jijo, Kamani, Kating, Khchoeng, Lukwej, Mutondo, Nagachampa, Nyamplung, Penaga laut, Pinnay, Pohon bintangur, Pohon nyamplung, Pon-hyet, Poon, Poonang, Poonay-oil plant, Pouna, Pua, Pudek, Punaga, Punna, Punnaga, Punnai, Sultanachampa, Surangi, Takamaka, Taruwuka, Te itai, Tilo, Toor asa taukava, Undi, Voakoly, Voakotry, Voalavenona, Vuma

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