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Microcos latifolia

(Masters) Burret

Cenderai gajah

Malvaceae Edible: Fruit

gbif· cc0

President and Fellows of Harvard College

gbif· cc0

President and Fellows of Harvard College

gbif· cc0

President and Fellows of Harvard College

Description

A shrub or tree. It grows 7-13 m high. The branches have a covering. The leaves are broadly oval. They are 15-22 cm long by 9-12 cm wide. There are soft hairs underneath. The fruit is oval and fleshy. They are 2 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. They are yellow and softly hairy.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The pulp is used in curries and chutneys. The yellow fruit is an obovoid drupe around 20mm long and 15mm wide.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are used in curries and chutneys.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a tropical plant.

Where It Grows

Asia, India, Malaysia, SE Asia, Singapore,

Other Uses

The heartwood is pale brown, becoming grey-brown upon exposure; it is not well defined from the paler coloured sapwood. The texture is moderately coarse and even; the grain is straight or interlocked; there is a vague ‘silver-grain’ figure on quarter-sawn material. The wood is moderately hard to hard. It is suitable for light to medium purposes under cover; these uses include veneer and plywood, tool handles, general utility furniture, flooring, cladding, wooden pallets, mouldings and possibly sport equipments.

Notes

They have also been put in the families Tiliaceae and Sparrmanniaceae.

Synonyms

Grewia latifolia Masters

Also Known As

Damak-damak bulu, Tajam damak

References (4)

  • Burkill, I. H., 1966,
  • Chung, R. C. K., & Soepadmo, E, 2011, Taxonomic revision of the genus Microcos (Malvaceae-Grewioideae) in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Blumea 56, 2011: 273–299
  • Milow, P., et al, 2013, Malaysian species of plants with edible fruits or seeds and their evaluation. International Journal of Fruit Science. 14:1, 1-27
  • PROSEA No. 2

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