''Garcinia parvifolia'', the Kundong, Brunei cherry or Asam aur aur, is a tropical evergreen tree native to Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia,

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

and

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

. The tree is found at elevations of in humid environments, and grows to a height of . The bark, wood, leaves, and fruit of the kundong tree are used by humans.

Propagation

Kundong trees grow in the humid interior of Borneo. The trees can be found at higher elevations along ridges and near riverbanks. The kundong propagates through seeds that take around six months to germinate. The tree grows quickly and once planted can produce fruit in as little as 4 years. The majority of kundong grow in the wild, but the tree can be cultivated in gardens.

Usage

In Borneo the bark of the tree is used to produce resin, while the wood is used in furniture or for carving. The juvenile leaves of the tree are eaten as a vegetable. The plant is used as a rootstock for mangosteen.

Fruit

Kundong can be eaten raw or cooked. The small red-yellow fruit has a sour taste with a sweet white pulp. Younger fruits are used to produce a sour taste in other types of food, such as curry. The fruit is about the size of a cherry and looks similar to a

purple mangosteen Mangosteen (''Garcinia mangostana''), also known as the purple mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to tropical lands surrounding the Indian Ocean. Its origin is uncertain due to widespread prehistoric cultivation. ...

, hence the nicknames Brunei cherry (interchangeable with Borneo cherry'')'' and red mangosteen.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15390594 parvifolia Flora of Borneo Flora of Malaya Flora of Sulawesi Flora of Sumatra Fruits originating in Asia