Natural History Notes

Jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus ), a native plant of India, is a common fruit tree in Southeast Asia where it fruits all year round--in contrast to other local fruit trees like rambutan and mangosteen that produce fruit seasonally. The fruit bears some resemblance to the durian , but it has shorter spikes and the barrel-shaped fruit is among the largest tropical fruit, reaching up to 20 inch across. Jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus ) Similar to its close relative of the same family, the fig tree, jackfruit is cauliflorous, bearing flowers and fruits on the trunk and main branches. It has a dense and neat crown with thick and dark glossy-green leaves, rendering itself a suitable garden plant, too. Jackfruit is easily propagated from seed, growing up to 60 feet tall and start producing fruit after about three years. Jackfruits contain starch, minerals and vitamins. The fruit of this wind pollinated tree contains numerous seeds, each about 1.5 inch long and c...

One of the oldest known fruit trees cultivated by man, the mango tree ( Mangifera indica ) originated from India and Southeast Asia, where it has been planted for over 4000 years mainly for its fruit. Crossings between various individual trees have produce hundreds if not thousands of mango cultivars. Each mango cultivar has its own smell, taste, size and time of maturity, among other characteristics.  Mango fruit In Thailand, cultivars are classified as either that that is eaten ripe or unripe. The former includes   Rad , and the latter includes Okrong which is very sweet, juicy and greenish-yellow in colour. In India, one of the most popular mango cultivars is the Neelam , a highly fragrant cultivar with high keeping quality and yellow saffron coloured fruit. The mango tree itself is beautiful making it suitable for gardens. The crown is more or less rounded, and the alternately arranged dark green leaves are crowded toward the tip. Young leaves, however, is r...

Ripe Mangosteen fruits ready to serve. The Mangosteen, like the Durian and Rambutan, has its origin in Southeast Asia. Mangosteen fruit is round and crowned with several woody lobes. The rind of a ripe fruit is dark purple. It is rather thick, but soft. If you squeeze lightly each side of the fruit, it would split open, revealing segments of white flesh covering some seeds arranged in a circle. The taste of Mangosteen fruit is sweet but acidic. Mangosteen trees Botanically, the Mangosteen ( Garcinia mangostana ) belongs to the family Guttiferae, and the genus Garcinia in particular consist of hundreds of species found in the tropics. It is a small tree with oppositely arranged thick, dark green leaves. It is not an easy task to grow the Mangosteen tree in large scale for it may takes up to 15 years before fruiting began. Related Post Hairy Rambutan Fruit

Bunches of ripe Rambutan fruits Rambutan trees ( Nephelium lappaceum ) are common sight in rural areas in the region as they are grown in orchards and gardens. The Rambutan tree can reach up to 10 m in height. They are planted primarily for the fruit, easily identified by its ellipsoid shape, red colour and characteristically hairy appearance. The name Rambutan is derived from the word rambut which means hair in the Indo-Malayan region in particular. In Vietnam, however, it is known as Hairy Cherry. The outer skin is thin can be readily peel off by hands, and it encloses the white pulp that surrounds the woody seed. It is this pulp with its juicy and sweet taste that is consumed. In terms of nutrition, Rambutan fruit rich in vitamin C. There are many varieties of Rambutan, the most favourable are the ones with the pulp does not adheres to the seed so tightly. Seedless varieties also existed but they are not common. 

Most of us are familiar with the Papaya fruit, the cylindrical, yellow-orange tropical fruit that has a juicy and sweet orange pulp. However, many do not know that its place of origin is in South America. A papaya tree bearing unripe and partially ripe fruits Before the 16th century, papaya was virtually unknown in other parts of the world. It was the European, who discovered this fruit in the Caribbean and they gave it the same name as the locals call them - Papaya. This fruit is also referred as pawpaw, but this term was reported to be more often used in Australia and New Zealand. Closer inspection of the papaya plant ( Carica papaya ) shows that it is indeed very peculiar. For one thing, it is primarily an unbranched plant. The papaya leaves are borned at the tip of the plant, and old leaves would fall off leaving behind permanent scars that marked the trunk. The lobed leaves themselves are very distinct, with each lobe further lobed. 

Durian, the king of fruit Durian fruits is one of the most popular Asian fruits especially in South-east Asia to the extent that it is regarded as the king of fruits. Locals like the the taste, smell and texture of Durians. On the contrary, many westerners in particular dislike the smell of Durians. The unmistakable capsular fruit of Durian ( Durio zibethinus ) is green and spiky, and when it is opened it reveals the seeds which are covered with yellow pulp. The pulp is usually eaten raw or cook to make porridge, for example. A full grown Durian tree. Like many tropical fruits of Asia, Durians originated from the rainforest and has been cultivated by man for a very long time. It is not unusual to find a Durian tree inside the rainforest whereby it can be identified by its conical crown and greyish-green leaves.

A bunch of Cat's Eye fruits The Cat's Eye fruit is  one of the most popular fruits in Southeast Asia. It is related to the Longan or Dragon's Eye ( Dimocarpus longan ). Taxonomically it is a variety  of the Longan. The scientific name of Cat's Eye plant is Dimocarpus longan var malesianus , but this particular variety is widely grown only in Southeast Asia. The small fruit contain a shiny black and smooth seed, surrounded by translucent pulp. It tastes sweet, and slightly juicy. The inflorescence of Cat's Eye fruit tree The tree itself is quite attractive with light brown bark, dark-green pinnate leaves and small, white flowers held in terminal panicles. The flower is visited by numerous flies and butterflies. It then become the fruit which is covered by thin brown and somewhat woody skin that can be easily peel off by hand. Not only people like the fruits, but many kind of animal such as treeshrew and squirrels too.