Gluta velutina

Blume

Rengas, Rengas ayer, Rak nam

Anacardiaceae Edible: Seeds, Leaves, Nuts, Caution Potential hazards — see below 5 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Gluta velutina is a plant of tropical Asia in the cashew and sumac family Anacardiaceae. The specific epithet velutina is from the Latin meaning 'velvety', referring to the inflorescences.

Description

A tree. It grows 7 m tall. It is smaller than Gluta renghas. It has stilt roots. The bark is smooth and brown. The leaves are 19 cm long. The flowers are white. The fruit are round and pale brown. They are 7.5 cm across.

Edible Uses

The seeds are eaten.

Traditional Uses

CAUTION: The sap is poisonous. The seeds are eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Known Hazards

Brief contact with the plant can cause allergies and chemical irritation of the skin. The sap can cause dermatitis. A resinous exudate from the wood can cause severe skin irritation. The smoke of the burning wood can cause severe irritation, particularly to the eyes.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows on the water's edge along rivers where the water is fresh.

Where It Grows

Asia, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam,

Other Uses

The reddish-brown wood is not very hard, very strong, fairly light, durable and easy to split. It has splendid markings and is used for furniture, building material for houses, canoes, fancy articles and inlay work. A resinous exudate from the wood can cause severe skin irritation. The poisonous constituent of the resinous sap is volatile and will gradually disappear. For this reason, the timber of this tree must be dried and exposed for several years as it is otherwise dangerous to handle. Lacquered articles or furniture made from the dried timber may still be toxic to persons who are especially susceptible.

Synonyms

Gluta coarctata Hook.f.

References (6)

Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 1097
Chayamarit, K., 1994, Preliminary Checklist of the Family Anacardiaceae in Thailand. Thai For. Bull. 22:1-25
Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 174
Menninger, E.A., 1977, Edible Nuts of the World. Horticultural Books. Florida p 51
Wickens, G.E., 1995, Edible Nuts. FAO Non-wood forest products. FAO, Rome. p 107

Show all 6 references