Common Name: Manila Elemi

General Information

Manila Elemi is a large, evergreen tree reaching a height of more than 30 metres with a bole that can be a metre or more in diameter[].
The plant is one of the best known and single largest source of the world's supply of elemi - a fragrant oleoresin with a range of food, medicinal and industrial applications[]. The tree is widely harvested from the wild by local people and is also occasionally cultivated for its resin and also its edible seed[, , ].
The plant is endemic to the Philippines, where it is threatened by habitat destruction. It is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Philippines.

Habitat

Lowland rainforest[]. Primary forests at low and medium elevations[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A single tree yields 4 - 5 kilos of resin[].
Wild forms usually have three, sometimes two kernels present in the nut, each in its own compartment[]. In the case of cultivated trees, however, only one kernel is sometimes found in each nut[]. When this is so, the kernel is proportionately larger and the nut easier to crack[].
Trees are dioecious, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seeds are required.

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked. The sweet nuts have a delicious flavour when roasted and are served like almonds[]. They can also be used in confections, ice cream, nut milks etc, and as an adulterant to chocolate[]. The coat surrounding the kernel should be removed since it can cause diarrhoea[]. The shell is very thick and difficult to crack, though some thinner shelled forms have been found[].

A sweet oil obtained from the seed is used for cooking purposes[].

The fruit pulp is boiled and eaten[]. Rather tasteless[].

An oil can be extracted from the fruit pulp[]. It has a tangy, resin-like flavour[].

Young shoots - raw[]. Eaten in salads[].

Medicinal

Manila elemi (the oleoresin obtained from the tree), and the essential oil distilled from the resin, have a long history of medicinal use. They are considered to be antibacterial, antifungal, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic and rubefacient[].
A study on the composition of Manila elemi oil from the distillation of elemi resin yielded 39 compounds, with limonene, the most abundant at 56%[].

A corn-sized drop of the resin is taken with water in the treatment of fevers and chills[].
The oleoresin is applied externally to arthritic and rheumatic joints, boils, abscesses, furuncles, burns and sores[]. It is heated and applied to the chest as a poultice to stop severe coughing[].

The tree bark is commonly used for postpartum baths[].

The essential oil is an ingredient of a commercial preparation called 'Lysout', a natural anti-lice foaming gel that also contains Echinacea purpurea[].

Other Uses

An oily resin called Manilla elemi is obtained from incisions in the bark[, ]. Manila elemi is a soft and fragrant oleoresin, oily, pale yellow to greenish, of honey consistency, balsamic in odour and bitter tasting[]. It is used in varnishes and inks; for caulking boats; torches; perfumery and for various medicinal applications[, ]. It can be used for the same purposes as turpentine[].

A tannin of reasonable quality is obtained from the bark[].

The wood is not very hard. It is used for light construction[, ].
This species is one of the sources of kedondong timber, which is obtained from several species in the family Burseraceae[]. However, the tree is more highly valued for its resin and edible seed and so is little harvested for its wood. We do not have a specific description of the wood for this species, but the general description of kedondong wood is as follows:-
The heartwood is generally a light brown; it is not sharply demarcated from the 3 - 5cm wide band of lighter-coloured sapwood. The texture is moderately fine and even; the grain is interlocked to wavy; the surface is lustrous. The wood is light in weight; moderately hard; not very durable, being susceptible to fungi, dry wood borers and termites. It seasons somewhat slowly with only a slight risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable to stable in service. The wood has a fairly high blunting effect, stellite-tipped and tungsten carbide tools are recommended; it is moderately easy to slightly difficult to plane; finishes smooth to rough; can be easy to very difficult to bore; slightly difficult to difficult to turn; nailing and screwing properties are good; gluing is correct. The wood is suitable for internal use as a general utility timber for planking, cladding, plywood, flooring, furniture, packing cases, pallets and general carpentry work[, ].

Propagation

Seed - we have no specific information for this species but seeds of this genus generally have a hard seed coat and germinate erratically. Filing away some of the seed coat to allow moisture to enter more readily, without damaging the seed, will encourage a faster and more even germination[].

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