BOTANICAL MUSEUM LEAFLETS 
HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
CamprR1 
DGE, MassacuuseTts, DecemBer 29, 1965 Voi. 2h f 
BACCAUREA AND ITS USES * 
BY 
Daasa D. Sorsarro 
INTRODUCTION 
I don’t know any better way to become acquainted with a 
new tree than to grow it where you can see it every day. 
You cannot learn so very much through reading and, while 
you may get a faint idea of it by seeing its photograph, 
still, the texture of its leaves, the odor of its flowers, the 
taste of its fruits — which after all are very important 
characters — cannot be conveyed to you except in a very 
general way by the printed word or by the halftone. 
(David Fairchild) 
In the Old World tropics there is one little known group 
of plants that has been of economic importance to the 
natives since early times. It comprises several species of 
the euphorbiaceous genus Baccaurea. 
The words buah rambat (the rambai fruit) in the Malay 
Peninsula and buah kapundung (the kapundung fruit) in 
Java are common names when the season for those fruits 
is about to begin. In the market place (where it is called 
pasar), in the streets and in many other places, we may 
see bunches of fresh, shining, green or yellowish brown, 
appetizing fruits being sold in abundance (Plate LX). 
Since the price is low, most people can buy and enjoy 
them. These bunches are from 20 to 30 cm. long, and 
sometimes may attain even 60cm. The individual fruits 
are globose, about 3 to 4 cm. long and 2 to 3 em. in 
* 4 term paper for ‘‘Plants and Human Affairs,’’ Harvard Univer- 
sity, Spring term of 1963. 
[ 65 ] 
