Dracontomelon[1] (Vietnamese: chi sấu[2]) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, growing mostly in SE Asia and the Pacific islands. The fruit may be used in local cuisine, especially as souring agents.
| Dracontomelon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fruits of Dracontomelon duperreanum | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Spondiadoideae |
| Genus: | Dracontomelon Blume, 1850. |
Species edit
- Dracontomelon costatum Blume - Borneo, Sumatra
- Dracontomelon dao Merr. & Rolfe (many synonyms) - SE Asia to Solomon Islands
- Dracontomelon duperreanum Pierre (syn. D. sinense) - southern China & Vietnam
- Dracontomelon laoticum C.M.Evrard & Tardieu
- Dracontomelon lenticulatum Wilkinson[3] - New Guinea
- Dracontomelon macrocarpum Li - China (Yunnan)
- Dracontomelon petelotii Tardieu - northern Vietnam[4]
- Dracontomelon schmidii Tardieu - Vietnam
- Dracontomelon vitiense Engl. - Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Western Samoa (Upolu)
Reclassified species edit
The following are known synonyms:
- Dracontomelon cuspidatum Blume: syn. of Dacryodes rostrata (Bl.) H. J. Lam
- D. laoticum Evrard & Tardieu: syn. of Protium serratum (Wall. ex Colebr.) Engl.
- D. pilosum Seem.: syn. of Didymocheton alliaceus (Miq.) Mabb.[5]
- D. papuanum Lauterb.: syn. of Protium macgregorii (F.M.Bailey) Leenh.
- D. multijugum Radlk. (formerly C.DC.): syn. of Toona ciliata var. multijuga (Kurz) Panigrahi & S.C.Mishra
Culinary Use edit
The most commonly eaten species is Dracontomelon duperreanum, which produces an edible fruit that is eaten in Cambodia, Vietnam[2] and China. In Vietnamese, the plant is called cây sấu and is a common urban tree in Hanoi; the fruit is called quả sấu. The fruit is used in Vietnamese cuisine both as a souring agent and a candied treat similar to the Japanese umeboshi. The treat is popular among youths. In Chinese, the fruit is called 仁面.
References edit
- ^ Blume, Carl L. von (1850) In: Museum Botanicum Lugduno-Batavum sive stirpium Exoticarum, Novarum vel Minus Cognitarum ex Vivis aut Siccis Brevis Expositio et Descriptio (Blume, ed.), 1 [15]: 230-231.
- ^ a b Phạm Hoàng Hộ (2003) Cây Cỏ Việt Nam: an Illustrated Flora of Vietnam vol. II publ. Nhà Xuẩt Bản Trẻ, HCMC, VN.
- ^ The Plant list (20 January 2018)
- ^ GBIF: Dracontomelon petelotii
- ^ Dracontomelon pilosum Seem. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
External links edit
Media related to Dracontomelon at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Dracontomelon at Wikispecies
