Manilkara kauki
Species of tree
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manilkara kauki is a plant in the subfamily Sapotoideae, and the tribe Sapoteae of the family Sapotaceae;[3] and is the type species for the genus Manilkara.[4][3] It occurs in tropical Asia from Indo-China (Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) to Malesia (Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea); and also in northern Queensland in Australia.
| Manilkara kauki | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fruits and foliage | |
 | |
| Leaves | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Sapotaceae |
| Genus: | Manilkara |
| Species: | M. kauki |
| Binomial name | |
| Manilkara kauki | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
It is rarely planted commercially but as an ornamental plant.[5]: 41, 50
Names
Description
Its leaves are rigid and have blunt tips, its upper surfaces are dark green while pale and silky underneath.[6][page needed]
Its fruiting season is from December to February, it produces edible ovoid fruit that turns dark orangish red when ripe, each are 2.5–5.32 cm long and 2 cm wide with a smooth pale brown seed inside.[7]: 35
Uses
The fruit is reported to be very tasty, and is traditionally eaten by Torres Strait Islanders, who travel from island to island to harvest the crop.[citation needed] Members and servants of Javanese royal families plant them in palace gardens as a symbol of kindness and loyalty.[7]: 36
It often grows wild in forests attracting birds and primates.[5]: 50 For reforestation purposes, M. kauki is a useful graft stock for M. zapota, and parts of the plant are used in herbal medicine.[3]
