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

Baccaurea racemosa (Reinw. ex Blume) Müll. Arg.

Synonyms

Baccaurea bhaswatii Chakrab. & M.Gangop., Baccaurea wallichii Hook.f., Coccomelia racemosa Reinw. ex Blume (basionym), Pierandia racemosa (Reinw. ex Blume) Blume, Pierardia racemosa (Reinw. ex Blume) Miq.

Family

Phyllanthaceae, also placed in Euphorbiaceae

Common/English Names

Bencoi (red fruited variety), Kapundung, Menteng (yellowish-white fruited variety), Rambi.

Vernacular Names

  • Borneo: Engkumi, Kayu Masam, Kokonau, Kunau, Kunyi, Longkumo, Moho Liox, Tunding Undang, Umbarian;

  • Dutch: Menteng;

  • French: Rambeh;

  • Indonesia: Tangkilang, Kapundung (Bali), Haoundung, Ninggih (Batak, Sumatra), Kisip (Bengkoelen, Sumatra), Roesip, Kisip (Sumatra), Menteng, Kapundung, Jerek, Jirek (Java), Menteng, Rambai, Tampui (Lampung, Sumatra), Modung (Madurese), Kapundueng (Minang-kabau), Bowo (Nias), Bencoi (Red Variety, Sundanese), Menteng (White Variety Sundanese), Kapundung, Kepundung (Singkep);

  • Peninsular Malaysia: Asam Tambun, Kapunddung, Jinteh Merah, Rambi, Tamut, Tampoi;

  • Borneo – Brunei, Sarawak, Sabah, Kalimantan: Kokonau (Dusun), Engkumi, Kayu Masam, Kokonau, Kunau, Kunyi, Longkumo, Moho liox, Tunding undang, Umbarian.

Origin/Distribution

The species is indigenous to Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, West-, Central- and East-Kalimantan), Celebes, Moluccas. Cultivated in Sumatra, Java and Bali.

Agroecology

Menteng is a tropical species and occurs wild in undisturbed mixed dipterocarp primary and secondary rain forest, riverine forest, or fresh water swamp forest to sub-montane forests up to 1,500 m altitude. In secondary forests usually present as a pre-disturbance remnant tree. It is common on alluvial and dry (hillsides and ridges) sites. It grows on a wide range of soils, from sandy to clayey soil (granite to yellow or red sandy clay) to peat swamps.

Edible Plant Parts and Uses

Its acid-sweet arillode is edible fresh stewed, pickled, fermented or made into drinks but is not suitable for making conserves.

Botany

Under-storey, evergreen, perennial tree reaching 15–20 m tall with pale to grey-brown bark, straight trunk, 25–70 cm bole, candelabriform branching pattern with strong, sub-glabrous branchlets (Plates 2 and 8) and dense, irregular crown (Plate 1). Leaves are alternate, on 12–77 mm long petiole with elliptic to triangular stipules, 3–7.5 by 1–1.5 mm, glabrous to sparsely hairy. Lamina is simple, ovate to oblong to obovate, 5.8–22 by 2.3–18.8 cm, chartaceous, base cuneate, apex obtusely acuminate, margin entire, lower surface without disc-like glands, nerves 4–10 per side (Plates 1, 3, 9, 10). Inflorescences racemous, pendulous usually on older branches in axils of fallen leaves or less often from the trunk. Staminate inflorescences are cauliflorous to just below the leaves, 1–5 clustered, up to 10 cm long; bracts 0.2–1.1 mm long, bracteoles minute. Flowers apetalous (Plates 3, 4, 9). Male flowers are 1–3 mm in diameter, creamy yellow to white; pedicel 0.4–2.5 mm long; sepals 4–5, ovate to obovate; stamens 4–8. Pistillate inflorescences are cauliflorous to axillary, single (to few together), up to 28 cm long. Female flowers are 3–9.2 mm in diameter, greenish yellow, or pinkish; pedicel 1–6.7 mm long; sepals 4–5, obovate to lanceolate, ovary 1-3-locular; stigmas short 0.3 mm long, not lobed. Fruits are sub-globose to globose berries, 14–30 by 16–25 mm, green (Plate 5) turning to yellowish-white (Plates 6–7) or reddish (Plate 10) when ripe, glabrous and indehiscent. Seeds are obovoid to ellipsoid, laterally flattened, 9–11.5 by 6.5–9.2 mm. Arillode is blue to purple to violet.

Plate 1
figure a

Dense, irregular canopy of large chartaceous menteng leaves

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Plate 2
figure b

Trunk with candelabriform branches of menteng

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Plate 3
figure c

Pendulous inflorescences of menteng

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Plate 4
figure d

Apetalous, creamy-white menteng flowers

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Plate 5
figure e

Immature, green menteng fruits

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Plate 6
figure f

Bunches of menteng fruit being sold in the local market in Java

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Plate 7
figure g

Harvested menteng fruit bruises easily with short shelf life

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Plate 8
figure h

Trunk with candelabriform branches of bencoi

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Plate 9
figure i

Pink flower buds and leaves of bencoi

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Plate 10
figure j

Red fruited bencoi fruits in pedenlous clusters

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Nutritive/Medicinal Properties

No published information is available on its nutritive value and medicinal value and uses.

Other Uses

Menteng is also planted as a shade tree in villages and for support for rattan. The timber is used for furniture, house and boat construction. Menteng yields a fibre that can be used for paper manufacture, and the bark and leaves yield a dye.

Comments

Both the red fruited and yellowish-white fruited B. racemosa are commonly sold in local markets in Java, Indonesia.