Common Name: Caqui

General Information

Manilkara kauki is a medium-sized, evergreen tree with a dense, almost ovoid crown, that can grow up to 25 - 30 metres tall, though is more likely to be around 15 metres[, ]. It often has a gnarled and low-branched bole[].
Its edible fruit is gathered from the wild for local use, and the tree is sometimes planted in gardens and orchards[]. It is also grown as an ornamental fruiting tree, often planted near palaces and temples[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, northern Australia.

Habitat

Usually found in coastal regions with a comparatively dry climate, often at banks of small seasonal streams and on coral beaches, preferring sandy loam soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland tropics, also succeeding in subtropical areas[, ]. It is usually found in drier areas and below elevations of 500 metres[]. Plants are tolerant of light frosts[].
Prefers sandy loam soils[]. Tolerates a wide range of soils[].
Plants can flower and fruit all year round in some of the areas in which the plant grows[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw, cooked or used for making syrup[]. It does not have much flavour[]. Sweet but insipid[]. The creamy-white flesh is quite sweet when fully ripe[]. The ovoid or obovoid fruit is up to 37mm long[].

Medicinal

The seeds, roots, bark and leaves are used in folk medicine[].

Other Uses

Cultivated as a rootstock for Manilkara zapota[, ].

The heartwood is brown, dark brown or reddish brown, sometimes with the reddish lines; the sapwood is light brown[].The timber is used for heavy construction and particularly for furniture and carving; it is also used for turnery and mills. The wood has a good reputation in Indonesia for use in furniture and fine carving[]. Carvings made from the wood are highly prized, and sold on a fairly small scale in shops and markets in Indonesia[].
The wood is used to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - clean, processed seed do not have dormancy and require no pre-treatment[]. However, soaking seeds in water for three periods of 24 hours (using fresh water each time) prior to sowing may enhance germination rates[]. The seed is best sown in a shady position, either in individual containers or a nursery seedbed[, ]. Germination starts 2.5 - 5 weeks after sowing[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual containers when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into permanent positions when they are 12 months old or have at least four true leaves[]. Seedlings are transplanted into the field when they are about 45 cm tall[].
Experiments have shown that the position of the seed in the soil is important for successful germination. Germination occurs most rapidly when the longitudinal axis of the seed is in a horizontal position[]. When seeds are soaked in an ethephon or chlormequat chloride solution for 24 hours, 55 - 66% of the seeds germinate[].
Nodal cuttings 20 - 25cm long, treated with rooting hormone and planted in sand will usually start rooting after 8 - 10 weeks with more than 50% rooting success[].

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