Rambutan hutan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rambutan hutan |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Sapindaceae |
| Genus: | Nephelium |
| Species: |
N. cuspidatum
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| Binomial name | |
| Nephelium cuspidatum Blume
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Nephelium cuspidatum, also known as rambutan hutan in Malay and buah sibau in Iban, is a type of flowering plant. It's a tropical forest fruit tree that belongs to the rambutan family. This tree is originally from Southeast Asia.
What Does This Tree Look Like?
This tree can grow very tall, sometimes up to 40 meters (about 130 feet)! Its main trunk can be 3 to 6 meters thick, and it has small buttress roots at the bottom, which help support it.
Its leaves are made up of smaller leaflets, usually 2 to 13 pairs, shaped like ovals. When it blooms, you'll see clusters of pink and white flowers.
The fruits are oval-shaped and covered in hairs. They can be red or yellowish-red and are about 2 to 4 centimeters long. Inside each fruit, there's a seed covered by a tasty white part called a sarcotesta, which is the part you can eat!
Where Does This Tree Grow?
You can find Nephelium cuspidatum across a large part of Southeast Asia. It grows in countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. It's also found on the Malay Peninsula and islands such as Borneo, Sumatra, and Java.
This tree usually grows in tropical forests where different types of trees grow together. It often prefers to grow on ridges and hillsides.
How Is This Fruit Used?
The fruits of Nephelium cuspidatum are very popular! People grow these trees widely, and you can often find their fruits being sold in local markets. They are enjoyed as a tasty snack.
