PROSEA Handbook Number
2: Edible fruits and nuts
Taxon
Canarium pimela Leenh.
Synonyms
Pimela nigra Lour.
Vernacular Names
Chinese black olive (En). Vietnam: càna, trám-den, bùi.
Distribution
Wild and cultivated in southern China, Hainan, Indo-China, and on Borneo (Sarawak). Occasionally cultivated elsewhere.
Uses
The fruits are highly esteemed by the Chinese who eat them candied or pickled. The wood and resin are sometimes used, but are of no great value. Fruits and leaves also used medicinally.
Observations
Tree, up to 30 m tall and trunk 1.5 m in diameter. Leaves 4—6-jugate. Infructescences 8—35 cm long, with 1—4 long-stalked fruits. Fruit a narrowly ovoid drupe, 3—4 cm x 1—2 cm, containing 1 or 2 seeds. In dense to open forests, usually at medium altitude. In Sarawak it flowers in August.
Selected Sources
[51]Mansfeld, R. & Schultze-Motel, J., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kuturpflanzen. 2nd ed. 4 Volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 1998 pp.
[61]Page, P.E. (Compiler), 1984. Tropical tree fruits for Australia. Queensland Department for Primary Industries, Brisbane, Australia. 226 pp.
[93]van Steenis, C.G.G.J. et al. (Editors), 1950–. Flora Malesiana. Series 1. Vol. 1, 4–10. Centre for Research and Development in Biology, Bogor, Indonesia, and Rijksherbarium, Leiden, the Netherlands. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London.
Author(s)
P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen
Correct Citation of this Article
Jansen, P.C.M., Jukema, J., Oyen, L.P.A. & van Lingen, T.G., 1991. Canarium pimela Leenh.. In: Verheij, E.W.M. and Coronel, R.E. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 2: Edible fruits and nuts. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record:
prota4u.org/prosea