Keywords

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Scientific Name

Sarcotheca diversifolia (Miq.) Hallier f.

Synonyms

Connaropsis acuminata Pearson, Connaropsis diversifolia (Miq.) Kurz, Connaropsis grandiflora Ridl., Rourea diversifolia Miq., Santalodes diversifolium (Miq.) O.Kuntze, Sarcotheca acuminata (Pearson) Hall. f., Sarcotheca subtriplinervis Hall. f.

Family

Oxalidaceae

Common/English Name

Jungle Belimbing

Vernacular Names

  • Brunei: Kerapa-Kerapa, Perapan Macas, Tebarus;

  • Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan): Parapa (Dusun), Belimbing Bulat, Belimbing Hutan, Buah Piang, Buah Picing, Iba Jantan, Kadazan, Kandis, Kerapa-Kerapa, Jiwang, Perapan Macas, Piang, Tabaus, Tebarus, Tutong, Ubah Gandis;

  • Indonesia: Asam, Asam Kalimbawan (Kalimantan).

Origin/Distribution

This species is found in Sumatra, Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, West-, Central- and East-Kalimantan).

Agroecology

It is strictly a tropical species. In its native ­habitat, it occurs as middle-storey, sub- canopy tree in undisturbed to disturbed mixed dipterocarp and keranga forests, secondary forests, on slopes up to 500 m altitude. It grows on sandy soils, sandy clays and clayey soils.

Edible Plant Parts and Uses

The sour fruit can be eaten fresh with salt or made into pickles and preserves (Plate 2). The acid fruit is eaten as a vegetable or added to curries.

Botany

A sub-canopy tree, reaching a height of 30 m with a trunk diameter of 30 m. Leaves are alternate, exstipulate and trifoliate. Leaflets are oval, lateral leaflet 3–9.5 cm long by 1–4 cm wide, caducous, middle leaflet 5.5–18 cm long by 2–7 cm wide, pale green, glabrous, acuminate apex, 1–5 pairs of secondary veins, glabrous. Petioles 4–7 mm long. Flowers heterostylous, with long- and short-style, 13 mm diameter, pink-violet-purple with 10 ­stamens and 2 ovules per locule, in loosely-branched axillary or pseudoterminal thyrso-panicles. Fruit subglobose to obovoid, greenish-yellow drupe, 1.8–3.1 cm by 1–2 cm wide with 5 shallow episeptal furrows and persistent calyx and ­stamens at the base (Plate 1).

Plate 1
figure a

Fresh, ripe, obovoid, greenish-yellow of Sarcotheca diversifolia

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Plate 2
figure b

Savoury pickled fruit (top), fresh fruit and leaves of Sarcotheca diversifolia

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Nutritive/Medicinal Properties

No information on its nutritive food value or medicinal value has been published.

Other Uses

The wood has been used for indoor construction, roofing furniture, plywood and agricultural implements.

Comments

Sarcotheca diversifolia is closely related to other timber species in the genus, namely S. glauca, S. griffithii, S. macrophylla, S. ochracea and S. rubrinervis.