Description

Dracontomelon costatum – Pitanak Fruit

A rain forest fruit from Sumatra and Borneo, often eaten candied as a dessert treat or used as a sour addition to cooked dishes.

Description
The upper canopy tree is up to 44 m tall and 115 cm dbh. Stipules absent. Leaves alternate, compound, penni-veined, without domatia. Flowers ca. 5 mm in diameter, white-yellow, placed in panicles. Fruits ca. 24 mm long, reddish-purple, fleshy drupe.

Ecology
In undisturbed forests up to 700 m altitude. Rarely in swamps, mostly along rivers, hillsides and ridges. Most common on sandy soils, but also found on limestone. In secondary forests usually present as pre-disturbance remnant.

uses
Fruits are edible.

Distributions
Sumatra and Borneo (Brunei, Sabah, West-, Central-, South- and East-Kalimantan).

Local names
Borneo: Besengkiang, Katep, Landur, Lengkugang, Petanang, Pistanak, Rengau, Sangkuang, Tekosoi.
The tree reaches 30 meters in height with a trunk diameter of up to 65 cm. The skin is cracked. Compound leaves. The flowers are pale yellow. Fruit reddish-purple, fleshy.

Distribution: Sumatra and Kalimantan (Brunei, Sabah, West, Central, South and East Kalimantan).