Bouea macrophylla Griff.

Tree up to 27 m high and 55 cm ø. Bark light greyish brown, or dark coloured, finely fissured. Terminal (vegetative) buds broadly ovoid or ovoid, 4-6 by 3½-5 mm, scales of outer pair usually shorter than the total length of bud. Leaves coriaceous, ovate-oblong to lanceolate, or elliptic to narrowly elliptic, (11½-)14½-30 by (4-)5-8 cm (on sterile specimens up to 45 by 13 cm), glabrous; base acute to cuneate, rarely obtuse; apex acute to acuminate; nerves 15-25 pairs, veins reticulate, sometimes faint; petiole 1-2½ cm. Panicles 4½-10(-12½) cm long; pedicels 0-2 mm. Flowers light yellowish green or light yellow, soon becoming brown. Calyx lobes broadly ovate, c. ⅔ mm long. Petals oblong, or oblong-obovate, 1½-2½ by c. 1 mm. Stamens ⅔-l mm; anthers apiculate. Disk small, thin, c. ⅔ mm ø. Ovary c. ½ mm ø. Drupe (fresh, cf. OCHSE & BAKH. Fruit 1931 1 ) subglobose, 3½-5 by 3-4 cm, yellow or orange when ripe; cotyledons blue-violet.

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in the humid tropics. It does best in light fertile soil. It grows naturally up to 300 m altitude but has been planted up to 850 m altitude. In Cairns Botanical Gardens.

Uses. Gandaria is an estimable fruit tree. In cultivation it thrives best on a light pervious soil, preferably below 500 m ( OCHSE & BAKH. Fruit 1931 1 ).The ripe, yellow, plum-like fruits are eaten raw or steamed; they have a rather acid taste; they serve for an excellent compote. Young fruits are sometimes pickled and used for sambal. Young leaves are eaten with rice.The timber of this species is not very good and only used for minor purposes ( HEYNE Nutt. Pl. 1927 973 ), but BURKILL Dict. 1935 355 defines it as durable.

Plants are normally grown from seed. It can be grown by air-layering or grafting. A spacing of 10 m x 12 m is used. Young plants need shade.