348 WILD FOOD PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



This species is reported only from Mindanao and is apparently 

 rare. 



FLACOURTIA INDICA (Burm. f.) Merr. (Fig:. 69). 



Local names: Bitongol (Tarlac, Rizal) ; bolong (Mindoro) ; palutan 

 (Cagayan). 



The fruit is rounded, fleshy, purple or nearly black, smooth, 

 and 1 centimeter in diameter. The pulp is fleshy, edible, and 

 has an agreeable flavor. 



Flacourtia indica is a shrub or small tree reaching a height 

 of 8 meters and a diameter of about 15 centimeters. This tree 

 is armed with scattered, slender spines which are often 2 cen- 

 timeters in length. The leaves are alternate, pointed at the 

 base, and rounded at the tip. The edges of the leaves are 

 toothed with rounded lobes. The flowers are white, occur singly 

 or in pairs in the axils of the leaves or terminate short branchlets. 

 They are about 5 millimeters in diameter. 



This species has been reported from the following provinces : 

 Cagayan, Isabela, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Rizal, and Mindoro. 



FLACOURTIA RUKAM Zoll. et M. (Fig. 68). 



Local names: Agas-ds (Dinagat Island) ; amai-it (Polillo) ; bitongol (La- 

 guna) ; kalamansdnai, lalamasali (Zambales) ; kaluiiga (Benguet) ; obieng 

 (Pangasinan) ; salabdgin (Cebu). 



The fruits are small, violet colored, fleshy, subacid, and of 

 good flavor. 



According to Crevost and Lemarie,* in Indo-China this species 

 is cultivated for its berries, which are the size of large cherries, 

 very sour, and good for pies. 



Flacourtia r-ukam is a tree reaching a height of about 20 meters 

 and a diameter of about 30 centimeters. The leaves are from 

 5 to 15 centimeters in length, the apex pointed, the base rounded 

 or pointed. The young stems are very rough. The flowers 

 are very small and occur in clusters in the axils of the leaves. 



This species is distributed from Benguet to the southern limits 

 of the Archipelago. 



Genus PANGIUM 

 PANGIUM EDULE Reinw. (Fig. 70). PangI. 



Local names: Pdngi (Negros, Samar, Iloilo, Camarines, Albay, Sorso- 

 gon, Cebu, Palawan); malapangi (Davao). 



The fruit is large, brown, and contains several seeds embedded 

 in a yellowish, edible pulp. The fresh seeds are poisonous, but 

 are rendered edible by steeping in water. 



* Cat. Prod, de I'Indo-Chine, page 195. 



