Fruits

Know about Canarium Almond

November 26, 2019

Canarium Almond Quick Facts
Name: Canarium Almond
Scientific Name: Canarium indicum
Origin Humid, lowland zones of eastern Indonesia (Maluku, Ambon, West Papua), Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. It is frequently cultivated in Melanesia. Also cultivated in Australia, Taiwan, Fiji, Hawaii, Honduras and Trinidad.
Shapes Ovoid
Canarium Almond is a large, evergreen, monoecious or dioecious tree which measures 40 meters tall and is fluted and is fluted and buttressed with trunk diameter 1 meters and heavy lateral branches and dense canopy. Leaves are three to seven jugate, imparipinnate and bright green. Leaflet is large, oblong-obovate to oblong-lanceolate and about 7–28 cm by 3.5–11 cm, obtusely acuminate with sub-undulating and entire margin. Flowers form in terminal panicles having deciduous stipule and bract at the base of the flower. Flowers are small, yellowish-white and 1 cm across. Stamens are six, joined and free of perianth. An ovary is superior, three loculed with one style. Infructescences are large along with 30 fruits which form on pendulous pedicels. Fruit is about 3–6 cm × 2–3 cm, ovoid to elliptic-oblong which is green when unripe and turns deep dark green to black or blue-black when ripe. Nuts are inside shell which is stony, hard, rounded or 3 to 6 sided in cross section. Seeds are trigonous, 1 cm across with brown testa.

Flowers

Flowers form in terminal panicles and are about 15-40 cm long with stipules at base and bracts of flowers. Flowers are small, yellowish white and 1 cm across.

Leaves

Leaves are imparpinnate, bright to dark green with 6-8 pairs of leaflets. Individual leaflets are oblong-obovate to oblong-lanceolate and typically 7-28 cm long by 3.5-11 cm wide. Stipules are persistent and ovate with toothed or notched margins.

Fruit

Fruits are borne on erect or slightly drooping stems which helds clear of the canopy. Fruit is an ovoid to obovoid drupe, 3-6 × 2-4 cm and generally green when unripe, turning deep dark green to black when ripe.

Culinary uses

  • The seed kernels are consumed raw, baked and roasted.
  • Consume it as snack food or add it to other foods with some staple root crops, soups or consume it with megapode eggs in Solomon Islands.
  • It is mixed with tuber puddings in Vanuatu.
  • Use the crushed kernels as toppings in ice cream.
  • Seed oils are used as a substitute for coconut oil.
  • Seeds are consumed fresh, smoked or roasted.

References:

https://www.gbif.org/species/5421345

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=506412#null

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