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Bouea macrophylla Griff.

Family Name:	Anacardiaceae
Synonyms:	Bouea gandaria Blume, Tropidopetalum javanicum Turcz.
Common Name:	Kundangan, Kundang, Gandaria, Setar, Gandariah, Gondongan, Kondongan, Rembunia, Remenia, Rumia

Bouea macrophylla or Kundangan is an evergreen tree of up to 27 m tall. It has a conical to round crown, small light yellowish-green to yellow coloured flowers. Kundangan produce dark grey gummy drops when the bark is cut. This native tree bear yellow to orange fruit which carries a faint turpentine smell, often cooked in syrups or used in Sambal.

Full Sun

Semi Shade

Moderate Water

Native to Singapore

Fruit or Vegetable

Herb or Spice

Tree

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments
Species Summary

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Tree (Medium (16m-30m))
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Plant Shape	Rounded, Conical
Maximum Height	27 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, West Java and Borneo.
Native Habitat	Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest)
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical

Local Conservation Status

Native to Singapore (Critically Endangered (CR))

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form	It is an evergreen tree up to 27 m tall, with a dense, bushy, conical or round crown. Dark grey, gummy drops are produced when the bark is cut.
Crown	Dense, bushy, conical or round crown.
Trunk	Light brown fissured bark and often with pendulous, hairless, angular or flattend branchlets.

Foliage	Its opposite, stalked leaves have leathery leaf blades that are egg-shaped-oblong to lance-shaped, 10–30 by 4–8 cm, and tapering to blunt tips.
Flowers	Its branched flowering shoots are 4.5–13 cm long, and found often on the twigs behind the leaves. They bear very small flowers that are light yellowish-green or light yellow, soon becoming brown.
Fruit	Its fleshy fruits are almost round, yellow or orange when ripe, and 3.5–5 by 3–4 cm. The fruits taste sweet to sour and has a faint turpentine smell.
Habitat	It grows in lowland forests up to 300 m altitude. It occurs locally in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and Pulau Tekong.
Associated Fauna	Its flowers are insected pollinated. The ripe fruits are eaten by frugivorous birds and mammals. The leaves are also the food plants for the moth species Archips mimicus, Gymnoscelis imparatalis, Penicillaria jocosatrix and Syllepte cohaesalis.
Cultivation	Bouea macrophylla is usually propagated from seed but also easily propagated through marcotting and grafting.
Ethnobotanical Uses	Edible Plant Parts : Edible Fruits, Edible Leaves, Edible Seeds Food (Fruit or Vegetable): Although even when fully ripe, the fruit is still generally rather sour and consumed fresh, cooked in syrup or made into excellent compote. Look for fruit that has a deep shade of yellow or orange. The young fruits are used in the making of ‘sambal’ as the bright purple cotyledons in the big seed adding to the attraction of concoction. The edible fruits are made into jam. The young leaves are also consumed fresh together with the ‘sambal’. (Herb or Spice) Timber & Products: The timber is used for constructional work, and to make scabbards for the kris. Others: As it has very dense foliage, it is suitable to be an excellent shade tree.

Landscaping Features

Landscaping	It may be suitable for parks and gardens.
Landscape Uses	General, Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens, Shade Providing Tree / Palm
Thematic Landscaping	Economic Garden

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna	Caterpillar Moth Food Plant (Leaves)
Pollination Method(s)	Biotic (Fauna)
Seed or Spore Dispersal	Biotic (Fauna)

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun, Semi-Shade
Water Preference	Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Moderate

Rootzone Tolerance	Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils
Propagation Method	Seed, Grafting, Marcotting, Air-Layering

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green, Purple
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Leathery

Prominent Young Flush Colour(s)	Cream / Off-White, Purple
Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Opposite
Foliar Attachment to Stem	Petiolate
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Lanceolate, Elliptical)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Entire
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acute, Obtuse
Foliar Base	Acute, Cuneate
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio	3.0 (Tree - Intermediate Canopy)
Prominent Young Flush Colour(s) Remarks	Young leaves are usually deep violet, but sometimes strikingly white when they emerge.

Non - Foliar and Storage

Trunk Type (Non Palm)	Woody
Bark Colour(s)	Light grey. Dark grey, gummy drops are produced when the bark is cut.
Mature Bark Texture	Fissured

Root Type

Underground

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Bisexual Flowers , Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s)	Brown, Green, Green - Light Green, Yellow / Golden

Flower Grouping	Cluster / Inflorescence
Flower Location	Axillary
Flower Symmetry	Radial
Individual Flower Shape	Bowl-shaped
Inflorescence Type	Panicle
Flowering Habit	Polycarpic

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Orange, Yellow / Golden
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Fleshy Fruit , Non-Accessory Fruit

References

References	Chayamarit, K (2010). Anacardiaceae. Flora of Thailand, 10(3), pp. 265 - 268. Bangkok: Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.

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Master ID	1460
Species ID	2753
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.

Species record last updated on: 25 August 2022.