Editing Terminalia catappa

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | Indian almond (''Terminalia catappa'')
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[File:Starr 050517-1525 Terminalia catappa.jpg|280px|Terminalia catappa habit at Molokai, Waialua]]
|-
! Scientific name
| ''[[Terminalia catappa]]''
|-
! Genus
| ''[[Terminalia]]''
|-
! Family
| [[Combretaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Myrtales]]
|-
! Native range
| Tropical and subtropical Asia, the Pacific, northern Australia, Madagascar, and the Comoros
|-
! Habit
| Fast-growing coastal tree
|-
! Typical climate
| Lowland tropical sites; commonly warm and very wet
|-
! Seed use
| Almond-flavoured kernel, eaten raw or cooked
|}

''Terminalia catappa'' is the accepted species commonly called Indian almond, sea-almond, West Indian-almond, or tropical almond. Its native range extends across tropical and subtropical Asia, the Pacific, northern Australia, Madagascar, and the Comoros.<sup id="cite_ref-1">[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup> GBIF places it in Combretaceae and accepts the species-level name with an exact match.<sup id="cite_ref-2">[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Description ==

This is a fast-growing coastal tree of beaches, river mouths, and coastal plains. It commonly reaches about 15 m, with larger trees recorded, and develops a broad, spreading habit suited to open tropical landscapes.<sup id="cite_ref-3">[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> The flowers are inconspicuous but fragrant, while the fruit contains a woody endocarp enclosing the almond-flavoured seed.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Cultivation ==

=== Soil and water ===

In its coastal habitat, ''Terminalia catappa'' grows in moderately fertile, well-drained soils and shows a preference for sands and loamy sands. A soil reaction around pH 5–7 is reported, with tolerance of a broader range, and established trees tolerate saline soils, salt spray, and periods of drought.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> Drainage remains important: salt and drought tolerance in an established tree should not be treated as permission to keep a newly planted tree dry. Water young trees through establishment, then adjust irrigation to rainfall, soil drainage, and the tree's seasonal leaf response.

=== Sun and humidity ===

Full sun suits the open coastal habit. The commonly described cultivation range is the lowland tropics below about 800 m, with mean annual temperatures commonly around 21–32 °C and annual rainfall around 1,500–3,400 mm; the same account gives a broader temperature tolerance of roughly 10–36 °C.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> These broad figures are environmental context rather than a guaranteed hardiness range. Give the tree strong light, free air movement, and enough atmospheric moisture or irrigation to prevent establishment stress, especially outside humid lowland conditions.

=== Seasonal changes ===

The tree can shed its leaves suddenly, commonly twice a year, rather than keeping an unchanging canopy.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> A refoliage sequence can occur as a local seasonal response, but the timing should not be imposed as a fixed calendar: temperature, rainfall, and site exposure alter the rhythm. Reduce irrigation only when the root zone and local season justify it; do not confuse seasonal leaf loss with drought death.

== Propagation ==

Use ripe seed for a straightforward seed-starting trial. A 24-hour cold-water soak preceded about 70% germination in roughly 20 days in one cultivation account.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> Treat that result as a practical benchmark rather than a guarantee: seed freshness and storage history can change emergence. The seed is also dispersed by water, consistent with the species' coastal ecology.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

Flowers are inconspicuous and fragrant, and fruit development follows flowering, but a reliable species-wide flowering calendar or bearing age is not supplied here.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> In cultivation, observe the tree's local leaf and flowering rhythm rather than applying a calendar from another climate. Harvest only fully developed fruit, removing the fleshy outer portion to reach the woody endocarp and kernel.

== Fruit and uses ==

The almond-flavoured seed is described as edible raw or cooked.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> This use concerns the kernel inside the woody endocarp; it should not be read as a food-safety or toxicity claim about every part of the fruit. The species is also selected in cultivation for trees producing larger seeds.<sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

== Photos ==

[[File:Terminalia catappa, stages.jpg|280px|Terminalia catappa in different stages of refoliage]]

[[File:Terminalia catappa flower buds Kewarra 4511.jpg|280px|Terminalia catappa flower buds at Kewarra Beach]]

== References ==

* <span id="cite_note-1"></span>[[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:171034-1 Terminalia catappa L. | Plants of the World Online].

* <span id="cite_note-2"></span>[[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/match?name=Terminalia%20catappa Terminalia catappa species match | GBIF API].

* <span id="cite_note-3"></span>[[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Terminalia%20catappa Terminalia catappa | Useful Tropical Plants].

== Image credits ==

* ''Terminalia catappa'' habit at Molokai, Waialua: [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_050517-1525_Terminalia_catappa.jpg Forest & Kim Starr], CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

* ''Terminalia catappa'' in different stages of refoliage: [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Terminalia_catappa,_stages.jpg Tauʻolunga], CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

* ''Terminalia catappa'' flower buds at Kewarra Beach: [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Terminalia_catappa_flower_buds_Kewarra_4511.jpg Melburnian], CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

[[Category:Terminalia]]
[[Category:Fruit plants]]