SANTOL
(Sandoricum
koetjape)
A tree of santol
Family: Meliaceae
Synonyms:
Sandoricum indicum, Sandoricum nervosum, Melia koetjape.
English name:
Wild mangosteen.
Other names:
Donka (Srilanka), kompen (Indonesia), tong (Laos.).
Santol is a tropical
fruit native to Indochina region. It was introduced to India, Srilanka and many
countries of South East Asia long back and has become naturalized there It has
also been introduced to Australia and USA.
Santol is
strictly a tropical plant and does not grow above 1000 m. It is commonly
cultivated in Asian countries and fruits are abundant in local markets during
the season.
Santol is a
very elegant fast growing tree which cans attain height upto 50 m. It also
makes a good shade tree. Leaves are mostly trifoliate, but sometimes the number
of leaflets may be more; leaflets broadly ovate to ovate oblong, abruptly
acuminate; flowers in narrow axillary panicles, yellow, faintly fragrant.
Fruit a
berry, globose or somewhat flattened, 6-7.5 cm wide, yellow and velvety when
ripe, each containing 2-5 brown coloured inedible seeds.
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Harvested
fruits |
A santol
fruit on tree |
The edible
part of the fruit is fleshy aril. The pulp, which is sweet and sour, is eaten
with spices or made into a preserve or jelly. The young fruits are candied. The
ripe fruits have a vinous taste. They are fermented and mixed with rice to
prepare an intoxicating drink.
Santol is a
good source of vitamin C containing 80-90 mg of this vitamin per 100 g of pulp.
Varieties
There are two types of
Santol viz. yellow and red. These were earlier considered as species.
In yellow
type, the leaflets which are 15 cm long, turn yellow when old. The fruit have a
thin rind, and a characteristically sweet pulp, 0.6-1.25 cm thick, around the
seeds. The fruit may not fall when ripe. Only the Yellow is now found wild in
Malayan forests.
A santol fruit
The
leaflets of the red type are 30 cm long, velvety beneath, turning red when old.
The flowers are greenish or ivory borne on 30 cm long panicles. The fruit has
a thicker rind, frequently to1.25 cm. The pulp is less and tastes sour. The
fruit falls when ripe.
Propagation
Santol can be
multiplied by seed, air layering, inarching or even budding onm its own
seedlings.
Medicinal uses:
The roots of
the santol tree are reported to possess astringent, tonic, stomachic leaves and
bark are used medicinally as a
poultice. Several
parts of the plant may have anti-inflammatory properties. They are employed for
the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery. These are also used with vinegar as a
carminative. Powdered bark is employed to cure ringworm. It is also used for
tanning fishing nets.
