Lithocarpus sundaicus

(Blume) Rehder

Fagaceae Edible: Nut, Seed 17 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A tropical tree in the Fagaceae family, Lithocarpus sundaicus produces edible nuts and seeds.

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Edible Uses

We have no specific information for this species, but the seed (or acorn) is a rich source of carbohydrates and would almost certainly have been eaten by traditional peoples, especially in times of shortage. The main disadvantage is that the seed is also likely to contain bitter-tasting, astringent tannins. Traditionally, these tannins would have been largely removed either by leaching the seeds in water or by baking them. The seeds can be eaten raw but would usually be cooked whole or be dried and ground into a powder that can then be used to make a gruel, or as a thickener in soups and stews, or as an additive to flour for making bread, cakes etc. The depressed ovoid seed is 13 - 20mm long and 16 - 20mm wide with a thick, woody shell.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant.

Where It Grows

Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sarawak, SE Asia,

Cultivation

Lithocarpus sundaicus is a plant of the moist tropics, where it is usually found at elevations up to 1,500 metres, exceptionally to 2,600 metres. The genus as a whole usually grows in areas with year-round rainfall, disliking dry seasons. Young plants usually grow sucessfully in the shade of woodland, but older trees like a more sunny position. Lithocarpus species are mainly found in well-drained soils, often growing on slopes; they tend to be tolerant of a range of soil textures and to prefer an acid to neutral pH. In experimental plantations in Java it was found that the bark of trees as young as 5 years already contained large amounts of tannin (16.5 - 22% on a dry weight basis). A tree 8 metres tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height of 12 cm, has an average yield of 3.5 kg dry bark. The bark can easily be removed from the trunk.

Propagation

Seed - it quickly loses viability if it is allowed to dry out. It can be stored moist and cool, but is best sown as soon as it is ripe in an outdoor seed bed, though it must be protected from mice, squirrels etc. Small quantities of seed can be sown in deep pots in a cold frame. Plants produce a deep taproot and need to be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible, in fact seed sown in situ will produce the best trees. Trees should not be left in a nursery bed for more than 2 growing seasons without being moved or they will transplant very badly.

Other Uses

The bark is a good source of tannins. The air-dried bark contains around 15 - 22% tannins. It can be used as a dye and preservative for ropes etc. The heartwood is yellow-brown, red-brown or dark red-brown; it is not always clearly demarcated from the lighter-coloured sapwood. The texture is rather coarse and uneven; the grain fairly straight but sometimes interlocked; there is a true oak-line silver figure prominent on the radial surface. The wood is strong to very strong; hard to very hard; moderately heavy to heavy; moderately durable under exposed conditions and very difficult to treat. It seasons fairly slowly, without any defects except for some staining, slight bowing and end-checking; shrinkage is high. It is easy to saw when green, but slightly difficult to work when dried; planing is easy and the planed surface is smooth; turned wood has a rough surface when finished. Nailing properties are poor. A medium hardwood, it is suitable for medium to heavy construction under cover and with protection from termite attacks; when well seasoned it can be used for furniture making, interior finishing, panelling, parquet flooring, decorative veneers etc. A medium hardwood, it is used for medium to heavy construction under cover with protection from termite attacks, construction of houses, bridges and sheds, interior finishing, fence posts, mining props, occasionally for furniture, parquet flooring, boat building, tool handles, rice pounders etc. The wood makes a good fuel and can be used to make charcoal.