| Atuna excelsasubsp. racemosa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Flowers and leaves fromTonga, where it is known as thepipi tree | |
 | |
| Fruits in thePhilippines where it is known astabon-tabon and used in the preparation of the dishkinilaw | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Chrysobalanaceae |
| Genus: | Atuna |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | A. e.subsp. racemosa |
| Trinomial name | |
| Atuna excelsasubsp. racemosa (Raf.) Prance | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
List
| |
Atuna excelsa subsp.racemosa,synonymAtuna racemosa, is a tree in the familyChrysobalanaceae.[1] Theepithetracemosa is from theLatin meaning 'clustered', referring to theinflorescence.[2] The tree is widely known astabon-tabon in thePhilippines, where the fruits have been traditionally used for the preparation ofkinilaw (a local dish of raw fish in vinegar or citrus juices) for almost a thousand years.[3]
Atuna excelsa subsp.racemosa grows up to 35 metres (110 ft) tall. The smooth bark is grey to black. The flowers are blue or white. The fruits are ellipsoid, roundish or pear-shaped and measure up to 7.5 cm (3 in) long.[2]
Atuna excelsa subsp.racemosa is found widely inThailand,Malesia and the SouthPacific islands ofOceania. Its habitat is mixeddipterocarp forests, also in swamps and along rivers, from sea level to 750 metres (2,500 ft) altitude.[2]
The fruit is made into a putty for sealing canoes in the Pacific islands. Oil from the seeds is used as a scent. Leaves are used as thatch inFiji.[2]
In the Philippines, where the tree is known astabon-tabon, juice from the grated flesh of the fruits is used to neutralize the fishy taste and the acidity of the raw seafood dishkinilaw. The remains of halvedtabon-tabon fruits alongside cut fish bones have been recovered from theBalangay archeological excavation site inButuan (dated c.10th to13th century AD) indicating that this cooking practice is almost a thousand years old.[3][4][5]