Spondias pinnata, sometimes also known as hog plum, is a species of tree with edible sour fruits. It is native to the Philippines and Indonesia, but has been widely naturalized in South Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, Southern China, and the Solomon Islands.[ It belongs to the family Anacardiaceae.][ This species, among several others, has sometimes been called the "wild (or forest) mango" in other languages and was once placed in the genus Mangifera. It is found in lowlands and hill forests up to .][
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Description
Spondias pinnata is a deciduous tree up to in height); branchlets yellowish brown and glabrous.
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The leaves are large, with pairs of leaflets (see illustration) on petioles that are and glabrous; leaf blades , imparipinnately compound with 5-11 opposite leaflets; leaflet petiolule ; leaflet blade ovate-oblong to elliptic-oblong, × , papery, glabrous on both sides, with margins that are serrate or entire; the apex is acuminate, lateral veins 12-25 pairs.
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The inflorescence is paniculate, terminal, and glabrous, with basal first order branches . The flowers are mostly sessile and small, white and glabrous; calyx lobes are triangular, approx. . Petals are ovate-oblong, approximately ; stamens are approximately .
The fruit is a drupe ellipsoid to elliptic-ovoid, olive green becoming yellowish orange at maturity, × ; inner part of endocarp woody and grooved, outer part fibrous; mature fruit usually have 2 or 3 seeds. In China, it flowers from April–June and fruits from August–September.[
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Vernacular names
Spondias pinnata may be called in:
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( hwei or gwei)
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Chinese: 槟榔青,
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Cebuano language (and other Visayan languages): alubihid or alubihod
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Khmer language /pɷːn siː pʰlaɛ/ (ពោនស៊ីផ្លែ) or /məkaʔ prẹj/ (ម្កាក់ព្រៃ),
[LETI, Mathieu, HUL Sovanmoly, Jean-Gabriel FOUCHÉ, CHENG Sun Kaing, Bruno DAVID, Flore photographique du Cambodge, Paris: Privat, 2013, p. 63.]
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Javanese (and Malay language, Sundanese): kedondong (also for Spondias dulcis), kloncing
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Yapese and Palauan in Micronesia: Titimer
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Vietnamese: Cóc rừng ('forest mango-type')
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Balinese: kecemcem
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, also written ໝາກກອກ, ໝາກກອກ(ສົ້ມ)
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Tamil language: புலிச்சா காய் (, meaning "sour fruit"); in Sri Lanka it is also called , although this more commonly refers to Spondias dulcis
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, (eponym of the Thai capital Bangkok
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Sanskrit: आम्रातकः (āmrātakaḥ)
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Tulu language: ಅಂಬಾಡೆ (Ambaḍe)
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Konkani language: अंबडे ()
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Assamese language: আমৰা ()
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Malayalam: അംബഴം ()
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Bengali language: আমড়া ()
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Kannada language: ಅಮಟೆಕಾಯಿ (Amaṭekāyi)
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Odia language: ଆମ୍ବଳା/ଆମ୍ବଡ଼ା ()
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Lhotshamkha (Bhutan): Amara
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Nepal: लापसी (Lāpsi)
Uses
The fruits have a sour taste and can be eaten raw or made into jams, jellies, or juices. They can also be used as feed for pigs (hence the common name "hog plum").[
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In the Philippines, libas leaves and fruits are used as a souring agent in various native dishes like sinigang, sinanglay, or laing.[
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In India, pickle is made using quartered fruits preserved in mustard oil, salt, and spices. Along with mango and chili pepper pickle, it is the most common type of pickle found in households in many parts of India.
Gallery
Spondias pinnata specimens from Kerala, India:
See also
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Spondias purpurea (jocote), similar species from the Americas
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Spondias dulcis, similar species native to Melanesia and Polynesia
