Canarium indicum L.

It is a large tree often up to 4
 high. The stems are often twisted or rough and 1 m across the trunk and there are usually buttresses at the base of the tree. The buttresses are tall but thin. The small branches are more or less powdery. The vascular strands are unusual as can be seen in the pith or centre mass of cells, not spaced in a continuous circle as in many trees. The leaf of a galip tree is made up of 3 to 7 pairs of leaflets. The leaves do not have hairs on them. The leaflets are oblong and can be 7 to 28 cm long and 3 to 11 cm wide. In young trees the leaves are distinctly larger. The leaves are pointed at the tip and rounded at the base. The leaflets are stiff and glossy being dark green on top and light green underneath. At the base of a leaf where the stalk joins the branch there is a stipule and it is large and has saw like teeth around the edge. This is important for identifying species. The flowers are mostly produced at the end of the branches. A group of flowers are produced on the one stalk. The flowers are separately male and female often on separate trees. The male flowers have 6 anthers or pollen containers in a ring. In the female flower these 6 stamens are improperly developed (staminodes) around a 3 celled ovary. The fruit is slightly triangular in cross section and black when mature. The galip fruit has 3 cells (sometimes 4) but mostly only one cell is fertile so that 2 of the cells are empty, and one has a kernel. The fruit has a thin layer of pulp and a very hard inner shell. The kernel is inside the shell. Fruit can be 6 cm x 3 cm. This kernel is oily and edible.

A tropical plant. The galip (Canarium indicum) grows in coastal areas, and is most common in the islands such as North Solomons Province, New Britain and New Ireland. It also occurs naturally in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Guam. It occurs on the New Guinea mainland and Papua as well as in Maluku in Indonesia. It has been taken to some other countries to grow. Galip nuts are common in the lowland rainforest. It suits humid locations. They mostly grow from sea level up to about 450 m altitude in the equatorial tropics but can be up to 900 m above sea level.

The kernels are eaten raw or slightly roasted. Seeds can be dried and stored. The nuts can be pressed for oil. The fresh oil is mixed with food. CAUTION The seed coat should not be eaten as it carries some substance producing diarrhoea.

Trees are planted near houses. They are mostly grown from seed. Many of the galip nuts take several months for the seeds to start to grow. As well, the seeds normally should not be buried under the ground, but should be just near the surface of the ground. Care is needed to see that the seeds and seedlings do not dry out. As the seed grows or germinates, a well defined cap is split off the nut. Trees grow fairly quickly. They can be grown by budding or grafting. Considerable varietal variation occurs.