Dracontomelon vitiense
Engl.
Tarawau, Dragon plum
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Description
A medium sized tree. It has buttresses. It grows 8-20 m high. The trunk can be 20-90 cm across. The crown is large and dense. The leaves are divided into leaflets along the stalk. There are 4-9 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are 8-15 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The flowers are in groups. The flowers are white. The fruit are green or yellow. They are about 3.5 cm across. They have yellowish pulp.
Edible Uses
The fruit are eaten raw or cooked in coconut milk and are sold in local markets.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten raw or cooked in coconut milk.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
The bark is used as a birthing aid - a hand-sized piece is soaked in cold water until soft, and then applied to the woman's navel.
Distribution
A tropical plant. In Fiji it grows from sea level to about 300 m altitude. It grows in dry or open forest.
Where It Grows
Fiji, Pacific, Rotuma, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu,
Other Uses
The wood is used in light construction. The wood is used for fuel. We do not have any more specific information on the wood of this species. However, the following is a general description of the wood from plants in this genus:- The heartwood varies from light brown, grayish, greenish-yellow to reddish-brown, often with irregular dark brown to nearly black banding; the wide band of sapwood is pinkish, or grayish. The texture is moderately fine to coarse; the grain straight to interlocked and irregular, with a decorative figure if quarter cut; the wood is lustrous; there is no distinctive odour or taste. The heartwood is not durable and is not resistant to termite attack. The wood is easy to work; glues satisfactorily; takes a good finish and polish; veneers well. It is used for purposes such as furniture and cabinetwork, paneling, decorative veneers (walnut-like in appearance), gunstocks, flooring, joinery.
Other Information
The fruit are sold in markets.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 72 | 293 | 70 | 2.2 | 2 | 28 | 1.4 | 0.3 |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Atapol, Faorau, Ghayambola, Hatapola, Honbol, Kassi, Katambolo, Katbol, Katpol, Lu, Mal, Mel, Nar-ah, Nakatamboi, Nakatambul, Na-Rak, Na-Rau, Ne-Rou, Netapol, Novil, Ratambola, Tarau, Te tarawau, Wera, Woro
References (16)
- Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 2500
- Blench, R., 2004, Fruits and Arboriculture in the Indo-Pacific Region. Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association Bulletin 24. (Taipei Papers Volume 2) p 37
- Bradacs, G., 2008, Ethnobotanical Survey and Biological Screening of Medicinal Plants from Vanuatu. PhD thesis Frankurt University. p 100
- Cabalion, P. and Morat, P., 1983, Introduction le vegetation, la flore et aux noms vernaculaires de l'ile de Pentcoste (Vanuatu), In: Journal d'agriculture traditionnelle et de botanique appliquee JATBA Vol. 30, 3-4
- Clarke, W.C. & Thaman, R.R., 1993, Agroforestry in the Pacific Islands: Systems for sustainability. United Nations University Press. New York. p 236
Show all 16 references Hide references
- Franklin, J., Keppel, G., & Whistler, W., 2008, The vegetation and flora of Lakeba, Nayau and Aiwa Islands, Central Lau Group, Fiji. Micronesica 40(1/2): 169–225, 2008
- Jansen, A. A. J., et al, (Eds), 1990, Food and Nutrition in Fiji. Volume One. p 43
- Lebot, V. & Sam, C., Green desert or ‘all you can eat’? How diverse and edible was the flora of Vanuatu before human introductions?. Terra australis 52
- Parham, H. B. R, 1940, Supplement to the Journal of the Polynesian Society No. 16. Fiji Plants: Their Name and Uses.
- Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 164
- Smith, A.C., 1985, Flora Vitiensis Nova: A New flora of Fiji, Hawai Botanical Gardens, USA Vol 3 p 454
- Sotheeswaran, S., and Sharif, M. R. et al, 1994, Lipids from the seeds of seven Fijian plant species. Food Chemistry. 49:11-13
- The Pacific Islands Food Composition Tables http://www.fao.org/docrep No E127
- Walter, A. & Sam C., 2002, Fruits of Oceania. ACIAR Monograph No. 85. Canberra. p 156, 279
- Wheatley, J.I., 1992, A Guide to the Common Trees of Vanuatu. Department of Forestry, Republic of Vanuatu. p 72
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
