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Litsea garciae
Also called Pengolaban
Litsea garciae is a medium to large evergreen tree from Southeast Asia and Taiwan, grown mainly for its edible fruit. It is a tropical tree that needs warmth and does not tolerate frost.
Litsea garciae, also known as engkala, engkalak, kangkala, pangalaban and Borneo avocado, is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lauraceae. It is native to Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi.
Litsea garciae is notable for its use in traditional medicine and as a source of essential oils. Its fruits contain high levels of phytochemicals which are antioxidants, and stearic acid which has shown to have antibacterial properties.
Litsea garciae fruits contain a high amount of phytochemicals, which has potential as a natural antioxidant that can contribute to human health. Phenolic and flavonoid content was highest in the stem cap, with the values of 8.29 ± 0.70 milligrams gallic acid and 6.90 ± 0.61 milligrams rutin, respectively. Anthocyanin content was highest in the flesh of the fruit, with the value of 4.12 ± 0.10 milligrams cyanidin-3-glucoside. The same trend of antioxidant and phytochemical content was also found in the distilled water extract. The fruit is also rich in stearic acid and contains antibacterial properties.
L. garciae is generally believed to have originated in the Philippines, although some botanists believe it originated in Borneo. It grows wild in evergreen, broad-leaved forests and in disturbed, open sites up to 200 meters (660 feet) in elevation. It is often found along rivers and on hillsides with sandy to clay soils, and prefers partly shady positions.
The fruit is eaten raw or cooked, and the tree is sometimes cultivated for its fruit. When eaten raw, it is rolled in the hands or hit with a spoon to cause slight bruising in order to release the flavor. A popular way of eating the fruit is to submerge it in hot water for five minutes, then sprinkle it with salt. It is sometimes served steamed with rice. Unripe fruits are pickled. An oil is extracted from the seed, which is used to make candles and soap. The wood is used in construction. Litsea garciae has many medicinal uses. The Iban use the lightly burned bark to treat caterpillar stings, and use a bark poultice to treat boils. The Selako use a poultice of the leaves or shoots along with shallot and fennel seeds to cure infections and skin diseases. It is also used to treat skin burns. The Penan use a bark poultice for sprained knees, ankles, and muscular pains. Decoctions made from the bark are also used to help ailments such as blood in stools, and are mixed with durian bark to make an antidote for snakebite wounds.
Litsea accedens · Round-leaved Bollywood · Big leaf bollywood · Litsea umbellata
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Litsea garciae by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
