Candlenut

ALEURITES MOLUCCANA

Common Name: Candlenut

Chinese Name: 石栗

Family: EUPHORBIACEAE 大戟科

Scientific Name: Aleurites moluccana

Plant Type: Angiosperms (dicotyledons)

Flowering Period: Apr-Oct (Spring and Summer)

Fruiting Period: Oct-Dec

Nativity to China/HK: Exotic

Height: 9-15 m

Facts:

• The Candlenut has a dense canopy with a tall large trunk.

• The Candlenut has considerably large leaves with length of around 7-20 cm and width of 5-15 cm. The apex is acute and has a heart-shaped base, with entire or wavy margins.

• The Candlenut contains flowers of both sexes on the same tree. Such flowers are white in colour and are borne in 10-15 cm wide bunches which are situated at the end of branches. Female flowers are usually in the middle of a ring of smaller males.

• The round fruits have a diameter of 4 cm. They are very hard with 1-2 oily toxic seeds each.

• The tree is fast growing and looks frosted when observed from afar because of the white coating on the white leaves, twigs, and flowers.

• It is planted along roads in Hong Kong to provide shade. Their fruits can be used to make fuel for lamps amd candies.

• The tree bark can be used to treat diarrhoea or dysentery.

• The juice can help treat sprue when mixed with coconut milk.

• The oil is rubbed on the scalp as a hair stimulant

• The seeds, when pounded and burned with charcoal, are applied around the navel for treating constipations.

• The pulped kernel acts as poultces for headaches, fevers, ulcers and swollen joints.

• Toasted fruits taste like peanuts and have medicinal values in relieving diarrhoea.