| Etymology | Genus | After its Moluccan common name sandori |
|---|---|---|
| Species | After its Javanese name of a form of this species, kechape | |
| Family | Meliaceae | |
| Synonyms | Melia koetjape Burm.f. | |
| Common Names | Sentol, Kechapi, Sentul, Red Sentol, Yellow Sentol | |
| Status | Native: Endangered | |
| Form | Tree | |
| Native Distribution | Malesia, Papua New Guinea | |
Diagnostics:
Sandorium koetjape is a common roadside tree as well as a native in our rainforest. It grows up to 45m, and the leaves are trifoliated, and spirally arranged. The bark is pale in colour.
There are traditionally two forms of Sandorium koetjape, Sentol and Kechapi. The former has sweet fruits and thin skins, while the other has sour fruits and thicker skins. Because of various variants of the names, Corner (1997) further treated them as Yellow & Red Sentols respectively, based on their colour of withering leaves. Other distinguishing features include hairless leaflet base, pinkish-yellow and strongly recurved petals of the Yellow Sentol, compared to the velvety leaflet base, green and strongly recurved petals of the Red Sentol. The Yellow Sentol is also said to be the one found naturally in forests.
Interesting Facts:
The fruit of the Sentol is edible, being either sour or sweet. It is also candied or made into marmalade (NParks, 2009).
Cultivated stands at Ubi.
Trifoliate leaves.
Yellow Sentol's cream yellow flowers with strongly recurved petals.
Fruits.
Edible white pulp.
References
Corner EJH. (1997) Wayside Trees of Malaya. Volume 2. 4th edition. The Malaysian Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur. 297 pp.
NParks. (2009) Trees of Our Garden City: A Guide to the Common Trees of Singapore. 2nd Edition. National Parks Board, Singapore. 382 pp.
Author: Siyang
Posted: 2018-11-23