Garuga floribunda

Decne

Garuga

Burseraceae Edible: Fruit, Leaves 32 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Garuga floribunda, commonly known as garuga, is a plant in the frankincense and myrrh family Burseraceae, with a broad distribution from northeastern India through southeast Asia and northern Australia to the southwestern Pacific. It is a tree up to 36 m (118 ft) tall and a trunk diameter up to 90 cm (35 in). The compound leaves are about 38 cm (15 in) long, arranged spirally and clustered near the tips of the branches. The leaflets are odd in number, with dentate margins, and measure up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long by 5 cm (2.0 in) wide. The inflorescence is a branched panicle carrying numerous flowers, each about 5 mm (0.20 in) long with five sepals and five white to yellow petals. There are ten stamens and a single style. The fruit is a drupe up to 17 mm (0.7 in) long and 25 mm (1.0 in) wide, green to black, containing a jelly-like flesh and up to five seeds.

Description

A small tree. It grows 8-12 m tall and spreads 5-10 m wide. The branches are thick and have scars left where the leaves have fallen. The leaves are crowded at the ends of branches. The leaves are 10-30 cm long and divided into leaflets along the central stalk. There are 14-16 leaflets and these are 4-8 cm long by 2-4 cm across. They are oval or sword shaped. They are leathery and dark green on the upper surface and paler underneath. They taper towards the tip and have unequal slanting sides at the base. Young leaves often have a reddish tinge. The flower branch is 20-30 cm across and occurs at the ends of small branches. They flowers are greenish white and hairy and 1 cm across. The fruit is fleshy with a woody shell around the seed inside. The fruit is about 2.5 cm across. It is oval and rough. The fruit is edible.

Edible Uses

The fruit and leaves are eaten.

Traditional Uses

The fruit is eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

A decoction of the bark has been given after childbirth.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It suits coastal regions in tropical places. It is very sensitive to cold. They need an open sunny position and well drained soil. It grows from sea level to 450 m altitude in Samoa. It is often in seasonally wet and dry regions. In XTBG Yunnan.

Where It Grows

American Samoa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, China, East Timor, Fiji, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Samoa, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Vanuatu, West Timor,

Cultivation

They are grown from seed which should be sown while fresh. The seed germinate irregularly. To break the seed coat it may pay to scratch the seed then soak in water before sowing.

Other Uses

A decoction of the leaves has been used to dye mats made from Corypha leaves black. The wood is used for general construction, bridge building, posts, light duty flooring, furniture and cabinet work, interior trim, mouldings, shelving, skirting, sporting goods, agricultural implements, boxes and crates, carvings, toys and novelties, and turnery. It is also used for the production of veneer and plywood. The wood is used for fuel. Occasionally planted as a shade tree. It is grown as a living fence around plantations, and as a boundary marker.

Notes

There are 4 Garuga species.

Synonyms

Boswellia javanica Turcz.Bursera javanica (Turcz.) Baill.Garuga abilo (Blanco) Merr.Garuga clarkii Merr.Garuga littoralis Merr.Garuga mollis Turcz.Garuga pacifica BurkillGaruga pinnata var. mollis KurzIcica abilo BlancoKunthia floribunda KuntzeKunthia mollis Kuntze

Also Known As

Kabo, Kagi, Magaui, Malauhi, Pohon garuga, Pohon kilangit, Tingulong, Vi vao

References (28)

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Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 96

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