Durio oxleyanus


Durio oxleyanus is a perennial plant species of tree in the family Malvaceae. It was once placed in the family Bombacaceae.
The IUCN list the species as near threatened.
It is a popular plant for food among humans and orangutans.

Names

In English it goes by common names like isu, durian lai, oxleyanus durian, Durian Hutan, Durian, and Durian meragang.
The native names include: durian beludu in Malaysia; durian daun in Sumatra; durian sukang or simply sukang in Brunei and Sabah; and kerantongan or kerantungan in Kalimantan.

Description

Trees in species can grow up to 45 meters or up to 50 meters tall and have dark brown bark. It has a self-supporting growth form too.

Fruits

The fruit the tree produces fruits that are edible. With a smooth creamy texture with a sweet flavor similar to banana or grape. The fruits are gray and are 15 to 20 centimeters in diameter.

Distribution

It is native to Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia.
It can be found in more moist parts of lowland rainforests.

Uses

It is rarely cultivated for food in its native area. The timber from this plant is used for building houses.
The species is also used for medicine to treat Malaria. In Indonesia, it is also used for ulcers and wounds. However, the plant has not been studied in pharmacology.

Threats

They are classified as near threatened by the IUCN due to large deforestation of lowland forests. Development of urban areas, extension of agricultural land, industrial plantation, and mining are the influence for deforestation.