WONGI
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Manilkara kauki
FAMILY: Sapotaceae
The Malayan name is 'Sau', in Indonesia it is called 'Sawo Kecik'.
This is a lofty tree reaching 30 m high with a dense crown. Flowers are yellowish-white in the axils of leaves. Leaves are crowded at the top of the branchlets, thick, shining dark green above, solidly grey beneath.
Fruits are small, reddish-brown, ovoid-ellipsoid, containing 1 to 6 long shiny seeds. The fruits of the North Queensland variety are orange-red. They are rather sweet when fully ripe.
This species is widely spread in South Asia, Malaysia and North Queensland. It grows well in coastal areas and in forests with sandy soil below 350 m altitude.
In Indonesia, sawo kecik is planted as a shade tree along the road or as a fruit tree in the garden. This slow-growing tree is propagated by seed.
The ripe fruits are eaten fresh and used in making syrup. In Malaysia, the young fruits are used as medicine to improve appetite.
Wongi plums are popular among the Torres Strait Islanders who travel from island to island to harvest the crop.
The wood is much in demand for wood carving in Bali.
DATE: March 1995
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