CUPUACU (Theobroma grandiflorum) A tree of cupuacu Family: Malvaceae (formerly Stericuliaceae) Synonyms: Burbroma grandiflorum, Theobroma macrantha. Other names: Cupuassu Cupuacu is widely cultivated in the tropical regions of Brazil.  It is believed to have been originated in the tropical Eastern Amazonian region of Brazil.  It grows wild in large numbers in

PEANUT BUTTER FRUIT (Bunchosia argentea) A tree of peanut butter fruit Family: Malpighiaceae Synonyms: Malpighia argentea Other names: Usuma, manteiga-of-amendoim. Peanut butter fruit is native South America.  It is believed to have originated in the Andean region, mainly Peru and Ecuador.  It bears small red sweet fruits which taste like peanut butter. Though it is

USHUN (Buchenavia grandis)  A tree of ushun   Family: Combretaceae Other name: Cuiarana Ushun is one of those few fruits of the world which have an excellent fruit quality but are virtually unknown to outside world.  This is found in the Amazon basin.  In fact the plant of ushun ( as it is

CHIRONJI (Buchanania lanzan) A tree of chironji Family: Anacardiaceae Synonyms: Buchnania latifolia Other names: Almondette tree, charoli Chironji seems to have been originated in the Indian sub- continent.  It is found in dry deciduous forest of India. A tree of dry region is found in North West and Central India. Plants may be seen

BALINGHASAY (Buchanania arborescens) A tree of balinghasay   Family: Anacardiaceae Synonyms: Coniogeton arborescens Other names: Jam jam, green plum. Balinghasay is a wide spread species growing in China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Andaman Islands, Indochina, Thailand, throughout Malesia (including Singapore) to New Britain (Papua New Guinea), Solomon’s Islands, and Australia.  It also grows in some

GANDARIA (Bouea macrophylla) A tree of gandaria   Family: Anacardiaceae Synonyms: Bouea gandaria Other names: Maprang, gandaria, plum mango, marian mango, ramania, kundang. Gandaria is native to Malaysia and Indonesia.  It is cultivated as a fruit tree, widely in Sumatra, the wetter parts of Java, Borneo, Ambon as well as Thailand. 

AIZEN (Boscia senegalensis)   A tree of aizen Family: Capparaceae Synonyms: Boscia octandra Other names: Hanza, hemmet Aizen is a fruit from Africa.  It grows wild in Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan  and Togo.  It appears that aizel originated in

BOROJO (Borojoa sorbilis) Borojo tree Family: Rubiaceae Synonyms:  Alibertia sorbilis, Borojoa patino, Thieleodoxa sorbilis. Other names: Parvi grande, purui grand. Borojo is a fruit of the Amazon region.  It can be found wild as well as cultivated in commercial plantations.              It seems to have been originated in the Amazonian region between Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.  It is widely

TAAD (Borassus flabellifer) Trees of taad Family: Arecaceae; Palmae Other names: Palmyra palm Taad is the most striking of the palms and is a grand feature in the landscape of tropical regions.  Majority of botanists are of the view that this tree originated in India only.  It is a very multipurpose

APPLEBERRY (Billardiera scandens) A plant of appleberry   Family: Pittosporaceae Other names: Apple dumpling, common appleberry, snotberry. Appleberry is a fruit from Australia.  The plant is a hardy climber.  It is a common species that grows there in habitats as diverse as cool sheltered gullies to mallee scrub, from Tasmania, Victoria, and South Australia, through to New South