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Cynometra cauliflora L.

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Fabaceae > Cynometra

Characteristics

Tree 3-15 m tall. Leaves 1-jugate. Leaflets ovate, ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 5.5-16.5 by 1.6-5.6 cm; apex obtuse, emarginate, or slightly acuminate; nerves 7-10 (-14) pairs; petiole 2-8 mm, glabrous, sometimes pubescent; petiolules very short, sometimes pubescent. Inflorescences cauliflorous: 4 or 5 small racemes fascicled on hard knots on the trunk; rachis 0.5-3 cm long, glabrous; bracts 1-10 mm long, ciliate; bracteoles 1.5 mm long, inserted 1.25-2 mm above the base of pedicels; pedicels 3-6.5 mm, laxly pubescent or glabrous. Hypanthium 1-2 mm. Sepals 2-4 mm long. Petals 3-4 mm long. Stamens (8-) 10, varying in one plant; filaments rarely with 1 or 2 hairs. Ovary rather densely hairy, with long and short hairs; stipe 0.75 mm; style 5-6 mm, hairy up to halfway. Fruits fleshy, rather kidney-shaped, rugose, 2.7-3 by 1.8-2 by 1 cm, glabrescent.
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A small tree. It grows up to 15 m high. It has a thick stem which branches many times. Each leaf is made up of two leaflets. The leaf is 5-15 cm long and 2.5-7.5 cm wide and is not the same shape in the two halves of the leaf. The leaves are shiny smooth and dark green on top and paler underneath. The flowers are small. They are 1.2 cm across. They appear on the stem in clusters. The fruit is a fleshy pod 5-10 cm long and 5 cm wide. It is kidney shaped. There is one seed. The fruit has a fleshy pulp. The flesh is yellow. The fruit surface is rough and wrinkled. It is a dull pale green.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 10.5 - 15.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) 1.5
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a tropical plant. It suits the hot humid tropical lowlands. It needs an annual rainfall of 1,500-2,000 mm. The daily temperature should be 22-35°C. It can resist wind. It is best in full sun but can tolerate shade. It probably yields best in a monsoonal climate with a dry season. In Fiji it is grown near sea level.
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Not known in a truly wild situation.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

UsesFruits can be eaten raw, but are better stewed with sugar. They are also used as seasoned additions to food or pickled.
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The fruit are eaten raw or cooked and as a flavouring in curry. They are also pickled.
Uses environmental use food gene source material medicinal ornamental wood
Edible fruits pods seeds
Therapeutic use Skin (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seed. They can also be grown by budding and grafting.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) 22 - 35
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Flower

Cynometra cauliflora flower picture by Robert Nasi (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Cynometra cauliflora fruit picture by Robert Nasi (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Cynometra cauliflora world distribution map, present in Fiji, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Seychelles, Thailand, and Tanzania, United Republic of

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:489381-1
WFO ID wfo-0000165841
COL ID 6BW79
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Cynometra cauliflora Cynometra acutifolia Cynometra cauliflora var. subsessilis Cynometra cauliflora var. elongatis
WorldFloraDB 2024