Kwila, Johnstone River Teak, Scrub Mahogany
It is a tropical plant. It usually occurs in the lowlands close to the coast. It can tolerate wet soils. It can grow in areas which are occasionally flooded. It is often on limestone. It can grow on atolls. It suits a pH of 6.1 to over 7.4. It can tolerate salty soils. It can tolerate salt spray. It grows on the side of tidal rivers. It is usually in areas with a rainfall of 1500-2300 mm per year. It is drought resistant. It grows best with temperatures around 26-27°C. It cannot tolerate temperatures below 17°C. It grows best in full sun. In Papua New Guinea it grows from sea level to 450 m altitude. In Madagascar it is usually below 50 m altitude.
Also known as:
Ai-besi, Bon, Borneo teak, Choyo, Cohu, Dort, Fara, Faux teck, Fehi, Fesi, Go nuoc, Gugura, Huhula, Iban, Ifet, Ifilele, Ifit, Intsy, Ipil, Ipil-talao, Kebuk, Kivili, Kohu, Kubok, Kubuk, Kuren, Maka, Malapari, Marbau ayer, Mboan, Menau, Merbau asam, Merbau changkat, Merbau laut, Mityanmis, Moluccan ironwood, N'tor, Nator, Natora, Nkengia, Nyia nwola, Pohon merbau asam, Pohon merbau borneo, Pra du tale, Rurula, Saga-lun, Show, Tagal-tugas, Tat-talum, Thort, Tor, Tora, Tuamis, U'ula, Vehi, Vei, Vesi dina, Vesi, Vesiwai, Wantal, Zolt, Zort
Synonyms
- Afzelia bijuga (Colebr.) A. Gray
- Afzelia cambodiensis Hance
- Afzelia retusa Kurz.
- Albizia bijuga (Colebr.) A. Gray
- Eperua decandra Blanco
- Intsia amboinensis Thouars. ex DC.
- Intsia cambodiensis (Hance) Pierre
- Intsia retusa (Kurz.) O. Kuntze
- Macrolobium bijugum Colebr.
Edible Portion
- Seeds, Leaves
Where does Kwila grow?
Found in: American Samoa, Asia, Australia, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Cambodia, Caroline Islands, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, Guam, India, Indian Ocean Islands, Indochina, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Pohnpei, Polynesia, Rotuma, Samoa, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, Yap
Notes: The wood is very hard and is called ironwood. There are 2 Intsia species and others have now been transferred to Afzelia. The bark and leaves are used in medicine. Also as Caesalpinaceae.
Status: It is a famine food. The tree is an important timber species.
Growing Kwila, Johnstone River Teak, Scrub Mahogany
Cultivation: Plants are grown from seed. The seed need to be treated to break the hard seed coat. They can also be grown by cuttings.
Edible Uses: CAUTION: The fruit are poisonous. The seeds can be made edible by careful preparation. This includes shelling then soaking them in water for 3-4 days and then boiling them.
Production: It grows at a moderate rate. It can grow 1.5 m in a year. It can take 75-80 years to reach maturity.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
Kwila, Johnstone River Teak, Scrub Mahogany Photos
References
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