Common Name:

General Information

Benstonea atrocarpus is a large, evergreen tree.
The leaves are commonly harvested from the wild and used on a large scale for making mats etc[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra).

Habitat

Lowland swamp forests[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Branches do not have dormant buds and so will not resprout if cut back into the old wood[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruits and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Although no specific records have yet been seen for this species, most members of this genus have more or less edible fruits, seeds and inner leaf bases[].
The cylindrical fruit is a syncarp made up of a number of individual drupes[]. Individual drupes are hard, woody wedges - each containing a few, slender seeds[]. Each wedge has a fleshy base imbued with a sweet-smelling, orange pulp that in many species has a delicious flavour[]. This pulp needs to be cooked in order to destroy a deleterious substance[].
The seed often has a delicious nutty flavour when eaten raw or cooked, though it is fiddly to extract[]. Seeds contain 44 - 50% fat and 20 - 34% protein[].
Inner base of young leaves - raw[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The leaves are used on a large scale for making kadjangs (a type of hut), mats, hats etc[]. They can be used to make the sails of small vessels[].

Propagation

Seed - best pre-soaked for 24 hours prior to sowing[].

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