Canarium Almond/Canarium is a genus of about 100 species of tropical and subtropical trees, in the family Burseraceae. They grow naturally across tropical Africa, south and southeast Asia, Indochina, Malesia, Australia, and western Pacific Islands; including from southern Nigeria east to Madagascar, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and India; from Burma, Malaysia and Thailand through the Malay Peninsula and Vietnam to South China, Taiwan, and the Philippines; through Borneo, Indonesia, Timor, and New Guinea, through to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Palau.
Canarium species grow up to large evergreen trees of 40–50 m (130–160 ft) tall and have alternately arranged, pinnate leaves.[rx] They are dioecious, with male and female flowers growing on separate trees.[rx]
| 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 that measures 40 meters tall and is fluted and is fluted and buttressed with a trunk diameter 1 meters and heavy lateral branches, and a dense canopy. Leaves are three to seven jugate, imparipinnate and bright green. The 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 the 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 the base and bracts of flowers. Flowers are small, yellowish-white, and 1 cm across.
Leaves
Leaves are imparipinnate, 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 held 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 a snack food or add it to other foods with some staple root crops, soups or consume it with megapode eggs in the 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.
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