Canarium ovatum
| Pili (Canarium ovatum) | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific name | Canarium ovatum [1] [2] |
| Common names | Pili; pili nut |
| Genus | Canarium |
| Family | Burseraceae |
| Order | Sapindales |
| Growth form | Evergreen, dioecious tree [3] |
| Native range | The Philippines [4] |
| Mature size | About 20 m on average [5] |
| Climate and site | Warm, frost-free tropical conditions; deep, fertile, well-drained soil with distributed rainfall [4] |
| Propagation | Recalcitrant seed; seedlings, patch budding, and grafting [4] |
| Fruit | Edible drupe and nut kernel [5] |
| Harvest | May–October in the documented Philippine crop calendar, peaking June–August [4] |
| Years to fruit | 5–6 years from seedlings; 3–4 years from clonal plants; full production around 12–15 years [3] |
Canarium ovatum, commonly called pili or pili nut, is an evergreen Philippine tree grown as a tropical nut crop. The accepted species name is supported by the GBIF species match and by Plants of the World Online.[1] [2]
Description[edit | edit source]
Pili is a large evergreen tree, averaging about 20 m in height. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees, and its flowers are borne in axillary cymose inflorescences.[3] [5] The fruit is a drupe that ripens over a prolonged period. Described fruit dimensions are about 4–7 cm long and 2.3–3.8 cm wide, with reported weights of 15.7–45.7 g; size and weight vary among fruit.[5]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
Pili is associated with abundant-rainfall forest at low to medium elevation. Use a deep, fertile, well-drained soil and provide moisture through the warm growing period; the crop is not suited to persistently waterlogged ground.[3] [4]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Choose a warm, frost-free position. Full sun is listed for the species, while its Philippine forest origin and abundant-rainfall habitat correspond to humid tropical growing conditions.[3] [4]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The tree is evergreen rather than seasonally deciduous. In the documented Philippine production calendar, fruit harvest extends from May through October, with the main harvest in June through August and several pickings as fruit mature.[4] Maintain moisture during warm fruiting growth, and give frost protection during cold periods because the crop is frost-intolerant.[4]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Pili seed is recalcitrant, so it should be handled fresh rather than treated as long-lived dry seed. Seedlings may emerge in about 40–50 days. One-year-old seedlings are used as rootstock. Patch budding is described with an 85–90% success rate in the documented crop method; treat that figure as a reported result rather than a universal guarantee. Marcotting is inconsistent, and cleft grafting is also listed as a propagation method.[4] [3]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
Because pili is dioecious and insect-pollinated, productive plantings need both sexes; a lone tree should not be assumed to be self-fertile.[3] PFAF gives qualified fruiting intervals of 5–6 years for seedlings and 3–4 years for clonal plants, with full production around 12–15 years. These intervals vary with propagation method and growing conditions.[3]
Fruit may be harvested in several pickings from May through October in the Philippine crop calendar, with June through August as the peak period.[4] For postharvest handling, the crop account describes drying to 3–5% moisture at 30 °C for 27–28 hours and shaded storage of in-shell nuts for up to one year at 2.5–4.6% moisture.[4]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
Pili is cultivated chiefly for its edible kernel. The fruit pulp is edible, and secondary species descriptions also note edible young shoots.[5]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ [5] Canarium ovatum.
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Starr-110330-4027-Canarium ovatum-habit-Garden of Eden Keanae-Maui (24454259453).jpg — Canarium ovatum habit at Garden of Eden Keanae, Maui; Forest & Kim Starr; CC BY 3.0 US; attribution: Forest and Kim Starr. Individual file page.
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