Edible Plants of the World

Langsat, Duku

A tropical plant. It suits the hot, wet tropical lowlands. It is native to Malaysia. It occurs in coastal areas and probably up to 700 m altitude in the tropics. A rich deep well drained soil is needed. It suits humid places and is not suited to places with a distinct dry season. It cannot tolerate drought. It can grow with an annual rainfall of less than 1,500 mm. It does well in part shade. It can tolerate lower temperature, rainfall and humidity than rambutan. A temperature between 25°-30°C is best. It grows between 17°N - 17°S. A pH between 5.0-6.0 is best.

Also known as:

Ayer-ayer, Bejetlan, Bijitan, Boboa, Bonbon, Bongko, Bongkong, Buahan, Doekoe fruit, Duku-langsat, Kokosan, Laang-saat, Langsek, Lansa, Lansat, Lanseh, Lansek, Lansones, Lanzone, Lasak, Leang sat, Long gong, Longkong, Pitisan

Synonyms

Edible Portion

Where does Langsat grow?

Found in: Asia, Australia, Bougainville, Cambodia, Central America, China, Cuba, East Timor, Fiji, Guianas, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, Sarawak, SE Asia, Singapore, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United States, Vietnam

Notes: There are 3 Lansium species. Fruit are reasonably high in folates 16μg/100.

Status: It is an important fruit in SE Asia. In Papua New Guinea, introduced to research farms and now being grown in a few places.

Growing Langsat, Duku

Cultivation: Trees are mostly grown by seed. Seeds remain viable for about 5 weeks if kept moist. Seeds should be washed and cleaned before planting. Seeds are planted 1 cm deep in a nursery. Germination takes 1- 3 weeks. When seedlings are 15 cm tall they are put into nursery beds for 1-2 years before being planted out in the field. Seedlings do not come into bearing for 12-20 years. They can be grown by budding. Buds should be put onto 4 year old rootstocks of the same species. Buds dry out quickly so should be inserted immediately. Propagation by grafting, marcottage and cuttings is difficult. A spacing of 8-10 m is suitable. Seedlings dry out quickly, so need to be transplanted carefully. Shade is normally provided for the first few years.

Edible Uses: Fruit is eaten fresh after they fall. They can also be candied, preserved in syrup, or made into wine. Seedless fruit can be bottled in syrup. NOTE The stickiness of the juice of the fruit can be removed by dipping it in boiling water.

Production: Trees are slow growing. Fruit production is seasonal. The season tends to be from December to March. Often trees have large crops every second year. Trees start to produce after 5-8 years but can take 15 years to bear fruit. Fruit will only last about 4 days at normal temperatures. They can be stored at low temperatures for several weeks.

Nutrition Info

per 100g edible portion

Edible Part Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (ug) Vitamin c (mg) Zinc (mg) % Water
Fruit 34 0.4 1 - 13.4 - 90

References

References Langsat

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Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 10:157, t. 10, fig. 1. 1807 (As Lansium domesticum)

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Brown, W.H., 1951-1957., Useful plants of the Philippines. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin 10. 3, Volumes. Manila. 1610 pp. (As Lansium domesticum)

Burkill, I.H., 1935, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. p 1335-1337 (As Lansium domesticum)

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Chin, H.F., & Yong, H.S., 1996, Malaysian Fruits in Colour. Tropical press, Kuala Lumpur p 30 (As Lansium domesticum)

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