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Durio
Durio zibethinus
- General description:
EOL Text
Durio zibethinus grows to a height of 27 to 40 meters in the wild. The tree has a straight trunk typically 1.2m in diameter. The crown is irregular and densely packed with branches that support oblong evergreen leaves which are six to 25 centimeters in length and two to nine cm in width. These leaves are a glossy green with a point at the apex. The flower has five sepals and three petals, with many stamen and a single stigma. The flowers bloom at night and are formed in pendant like clusters of three to thirty blooms. A tough yellow-green, semi woody rind with sharp spines covers the fruit. The irregular ovoid fruits are 15 to 30cm in length and 12 to 15cm in width. Weights of up to eight kilograms are not uncommon. Inside the rind, five compartments house the creamy white to yellow to orange flesh. The odorous fruit has one to seven seeds within the flesh which are two to six centimeters in length and have a shape and texture similar to an avocado pit (Morton, 1987). Studies have shown that bees can be used to pollinate cultivated trees. In the wild the flower of D. zibethinus are pollinated primarily by fruit bats. The fruits bats also aid in distribution of the seeds. (Bumrungsri, 2009).
"Notes: Western Ghats, Cultivated, Native of Malaysian Region"
Durio zibethinus grows to a height of 27 to 40 meters in the wild. The tree has a straight trunk typically 1.2m in diameter. The crown is irregular and densely packed with branches that support oblong evergreen leaves which are six to 25 centimeters in length and two to nine cm in width. These leaves are a glossy green with a point at the apex. The flower of the D. zibethinus is described as malodorous and yellowish cream in color. The flower has five sepals and three petals, with many stamen and a single stigma. The flowers bloom at night and are formed in pendant like clusters of three to thirty blooms. When pollinated the flowers form a fruit commonly known as a durian.
The fruit releases an odor when ripe that makes it that many consumers find offensive. A tough yellow-green, semi woody rind with sharp spines covers the fruit. The irregular ovoid fruits are 15 to 30cm in length and 12 to 15cm in width. Weights of up to eight kilograms are not uncommon. Inside the rind, five compartments house the creamy white to yellow to orange flesh. The flesh is described as having a rich custard texture and tasting heavily of almonds. The odorous fruit has one to seven seeds within the flesh which are two to six centimeters in length and have a shape and texture similar to an avocado pit (Morton, 1987).
While studies have shown that bees can be used to pollinate cultivated trees the flower of the wild type D. zibethinus are pollinated primarily by fruit bats (Bumrungsri, 2009). In rural villages within the durian's natural range a harvesting culture has developed. The villagers build huts around the trees to maximize the fruits collected as they drop. The villagers also set traps around the trees to catch animals and birds which are attracted by the fruits odors (Subhadrabandhu, 2001). The fruits of the D. zibethinus have been known to harm people who unlucky enough to be under one when the fruit drops from its branch. In many places it is customary to wear hardhats while collecting the fruit off the ground; as an added precaution countries such as Indonesia place signs around the trees warning residents and tourists of the falling fruits (Vaisutis, 2007).
"Kerala: Not specified Tamil Nadu: Nilgiri, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli"
Durio zibethinus is native to Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, and possibly Sumatra (Nyffeler et al, 2000). The tree has been cultivated throughout the tropics, specifically in: India, Sri Lanka, New Guinea, the Philippians and Central America (Brunner, 2007).
Habit: Tall Tree
Durio zibethinus grows in cultivation at altitudes of sea level to 700 feet but has been reported at elevations up to 2,600 feet (Brunner, 2007). The durian being a tropical plant requires abundant rainfall (1,500mm-2,500mm, spread over nine to 11 months) and a temperature of 27-30 degrees Celsius with temperatures of 22 and 46 degrees Celsius being the extremes. In cultivation the plant typically flourishes in latitudes up to 18 degrees North and South of the equator (Ketsa et al, 2008).
Durio zibethinus is found in the Malavaceae family and the Helicteroideae subfamily. The species is closely related to D. oxleyanus. The genus Durio is related to the Boschia and Cullenia genera, in the tribe Durioneae. The Helicteroideae subfamily was formed after a genetic split, the second branch of this split went on to for the Bombacoideae and Malvoideae subfamilies. It should be noted that support for these subfamilies is poor and is subject to change in the future (Nyffeler et al, 2004)
Odor attracts seed dispersers: Durio tree
Ripe fruit of Durio tree species can be detected by potential seed-dispersing animals up to a half mile away due to a pungent odor.
The strong smell of ripe durian fruit, which is extremely unpleasant to many human noses, can be detected half a mile from the source, and thus attracts the attention of a great number of animals that eat the fruit and aid in seed dispersal. (Attenborough 1995:25-27)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Attenborough, D. 1995. The Private Life of Plants: A Natural History of Plant Behavior. London: BBC Books. 320 p.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/5242ee77b95bb73c3a1b4cba7eedfe4a |
Fruit: Sold for use as an aphrodisiac by the Surinam Chinese at Lelydorp.