Common Name: Okari Nut

General Information

Terminalia kaernbachii is a large, deciduous tree with a spreading crown; it can grow up to 45 metres tall, though it is usually smaller in cultivation. The straight, cylindrical bole is usually buttressed[, ].
The seed is a very popular food in the areas where it grows, indeed it is said to be one of the tastiest of all tropical seeds[]. Commonly harvested from wild trees in the forests, it is also semi-cultivated by the local people there[]. The seeis are often sold in local markets, and are considered to have a significant commercial potential to a wider market[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea to the Solomon Islands.

Habitat

Scattered, but sometimes common, in lowland rainforest and riverine forest, at elevations up to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropical lowlands, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres[]. Plants can be found at elevations up to 1,300 metres, but do not fruit well at these higher elevations[].
Succeeds in any moderately fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny position[].
A fast-growing tree when young, able to increase height by up to 2 metres a year[].
Trees take many years to come into full bearing from seed, even when 20 years old they usually only produce small crops[].
Seeds are harvested after they fall to the ground[].
The plant often crops poorly when close to the sea, but can produce good crops when growing inland.

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[, ]. The seed has an excellent, mild, almond-like flavour, it can be eaten raw, roasted or baked[]. The flavour is improved by roasting it lightly with salt[]. The palatable kernels are the largest known in this plant family, they can be up to 7 - 8cm long, 3 - 4cm wide, and can weigh from 1.5 - 10g each[, , ].

The seed contains up to 50% of a sweet, colourless, non-drying oil[, ]. It is the source of a vegetable butter[].

Fruit[]. The red, fleshy, ellipsoid fruit can be 60 - 175mm long, 40 - 80mm wide and 35 - 60mm thick[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The wood is moderately hard, inclined to be brittle[]. It is sometimes used for timber in furniture construction, but is seldom logged as it is excluded from timber purchases because of the value of its seed[, ].

Propagation

Seed - germinates freely when fresh, but quickly loses its viability[, ].

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?