Finschia ferruginiflora

White

Proteaceae Edible: Nuts

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Description

A tree up to 30 m tall with adventitious roots up to 1.5 m above the ground. Leaves are long (25 cm) and narrow (5 cm) and without hairs. Flowers are rusty brown in long strings up to 20 cm long. Fruit are about 5 cm across. They have one seed inside. Possibly now Hakea ferruginiflora (C. T. White) Christenh. & Byng.

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked. The yellow, globose fruit is around 5cm in diameter containing one or more seeds 7 - 8mm in diameter.

Traditional Uses

The seeds are cooked and eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

A tropical plant. They occur in rainforest between 1500 and 1800 m altitude.

Where It Grows

Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG,

Cultivation

Trees grow from seed.

Propagation

Seed - it is often slow to germinate.

Other Information

In Papua New Guinea, the species has mostly been recorded in the Eastern Highlands near Aiyura and Okapa.

References (8)

Bourke, M., 1995, Edible Indigenous Nuts in Papua New Guinea. In South Pacific Indigenous Nuts. ACIAR Proceedings No 69, Canberra. p 46
French, B.R., 1986, Food Plants of Papua New Guinea, A Compendium. Asia Pacific Science Foundation p 178
Menninger, E.A., 1977, Edible Nuts of the World. Horticultural Books. Florida p 21
PROSEA (Plant Resources of South East Asia) handbook, Volume 2, 1991, Edible fruits and nut. p 167
Sleumer, H., 1955, Proteaceae in Flora Malesiana, Ser 1 Vol 5(2) p 162

Show all 8 references

White, C.T., 1949, Finschia - A Genus of "Nut" Trees of the Southwest Pacific. Pacific Science 3:187
Wickens, G.E., 1995, Edible Nuts. FAO Non-wood forest products. FAO, Rome. p146
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew