Cynometra cauliflora
| Namnam (Cynometra cauliflora) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Cynometra cauliflora [1] |
| Genus | Cynometra [1] |
| Family | Fabaceae [2] |
| Order | Fabales [2] |
| Other names | nam-nam, namu-namu, katak puru-puru [3] |
| Habit | Small tree or shrub, 3–15 m [4] |
| Fruit position | Trunk-borne (cauliflorous) pods [3] |
Cynometra cauliflora, commonly called namnam, is a Malaysian tropical fruit tree in the legume family. Its flowers and pods arise directly from the trunk and older branches, giving the tree an unusual cauliflorous habit. The accepted species match is exact in GBIF, with confidence 98. [1]
Description[edit | edit source]
Namnam is a small tree or shrub with a compact habit and trunk-borne flowering and fruiting. The pods are kidney-shaped, with rough or wrinkled skin and edible pulp. A Sarawak collection used for a botanical and chemical study included leaves, fruits, and twigs, and a voucher specimen was deposited at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. [3]
The accepted name should be kept distinct from the synonym combinations displayed for Cynometra acutiflora and Cynometra acutifolia; those names do not by themselves establish separate cultivated varieties. [2]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
The species account places namnam in wet tropical lowlands and gives soils around pH 5–6. This is secondary cultivation guidance and is best treated as a starting range rather than a measured limit for every provenance. [4]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
The same account describes full sun with some shade tolerance for wet-tropical cultivation. [4]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
Wet-tropical lowland cultivation is the environmental context given for namnam. Flowering and pod maturation are described as approximate intervals rather than month-specific dates. [4]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Namnam is propagated by seed. [4]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
Seed-grown trees are described as beginning to flower after about six years, and pods as maturing about two months after flowering; these are approximate account values rather than fixed schedules. [4]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
Young fruit may be eaten raw or cooked. Mature fruit is eaten fresh and is also prepared with sugar, in salads, pickles, sambal, juice, or fried batter. [5] [3]
A 2021 study of leaves, fruits, and twigs examined essential oils and laboratory antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic assays. Those laboratory results do not establish human medicinal efficacy or food-safety conclusions, so the fruit uses above are presented as culinary descriptions rather than health claims. [3]
References[edit | edit source]
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Cynometra cauliflora in Singapore: Cynometra cauliflora 245645985.jpg, scallions (iNaturalist user 5898656) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
