Baccaurea is a
genus of flowering plant belonging to the family Phyllanthaceae. The genus
comprises over 100 species, distributed from Indomalesia to the West Pacific.
Bauccarea motleyana is known as rambai in Malaysia. It
is a medium sized tree, growing up to 9 to 12 meters in height with short trunk
and a broad crown.
The evergreen leaves are shiny green
on the upper surface and greenish-brown and hairy underneath.
The flowers are dioecius, with male
and female flowers growing on separate trees.
Fruits are 2 to 5 cm long, with
velvety pinkish, yellow, or brown skin, containing 3-5 seeds.
The pulp is sweet to acid in taste.
The specific name motleyana is for James Motley (
1781-1863 ), who collected the specimen in Borneo prior to his murder. His name also provides the basic for the
generic name Motleyia for several
other Malesian plants.
