Duku
(Lansium domesticum Corrêa)
Duku
(Lansium domesticum Corrêa)
The Duku plant originates from Southeast Asia, widely distributed in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Duku produces a highly popular fruit because of its sweet taste. This plant is traditionally utilized by communities as a medicinal plant. Additionally, the people of Java use its wood as house pillars and handles for household tools.
Duku can grow and fruit well in the lowlands up to an altitude of 600 m a.s.l. with annual rainfall of 1,500–2,500 mm/year, soil pH of 6–6.5, and air temperatures of 25–35 ºC. This plant is typically grown in yards.
Root: Taproot, penetrating deep underground.
Stem: Gray in color, cylindrical in shape, with monopodial branching.
Leaves: Pinnate venation, a shiny surface, a short-tapering tip, and entire margins.
Flowers: Located in racemes (tandan) on the large stem or branches, small in size, short-stalked, and bisexual (hermaphroditic).
Fruit: Round in shape, with a sweet taste.
Seeds: Dicotyledonous, oval, and somewhat round.
Propagation is done generatively (by seed) and vegetatively (budding/okulasi, air layering/cangkok, and top grafting/sambung pucuk).
Propagation by seed will take longer to bear fruit, approximately 8–10 years.
It maintains the health of the digestive system, is a source of antioxidants, boosts the immune system, treats fever, worms (cacingan), dysentery, treats scorpion stings, and is a source of natural whitening extract in cosmetics.
Leaves: Flavonoids, saponins, and triterpenoids.
Stem: Flavonoids, saponins.
Fresh Seeds: 6 tetranortriterpenoids, domesticulide A–E (1–5), triterpenoids, and limonoids.
Fresh Fruit Peel: Ethereal oil, resin, and triterpene onoceranoid.
Dried Fruit Peel: Oleoresin (ethereal oil and resin).
Stomach upset
Roast 5 langsat seeds and their skins until they turn black, then grind them into a powder.
Steep the langsat seed powder in 1/2 cup of hot water.
Drink this warm twice daily until the upset stomach subsides.
Socfindo Conservation. 2023. Duku. https://www.socfindoconservation.co.id/plant/565 (20-06-2023)