The Domestication of Fruit and Nut Tree Species in Vanuatu, Oceania - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 129

productivity would lead to orchards with small trees that are easy to harvest.
Some trees have cylindrical fruits up to 8 cm long, which can be green or purple.
7.3.3 Burckella species
Three species of Burckella , namely B. fijiensis , B. obovata and Burckella sp. (=
Cassidispermum megahilum ), will be discussed here. In Vanuatu, B. fijiensis is
found only on the island of Futuna and is probably a Polynesian introduction.
The species is cultivated but numerous volunteer plants are found under the
groves. It appears to be very variable in the size and taste of the fruits and their
degree of sweetness. Vegetative propagation is very difficult to achieve and
farmers use very ripe fruits. The flesh of the fruit has a fragrant, distinct and
delicate taste and can be eaten raw or roasted. The tree is propagated from
germinated seedlings, which are transplanted closer to settlements. Two main
types of B. obovata are found in Vanuatu: one with elongated fruits and one
with rounded fruits; the latter may sometimes be very large. The elongated fruit
is the commoner and sweeter of the two types of fruit, but the taste can vary
from tree to tree and villagers select and transplant plants with sweet and juicy
fruits. To beat the fruit bats, the fruits are harvested just before maturity by
picking them directly from the tree, and they are ripened in baskets.
Burckella sp. grows at the sea's edge. It is protected by humans and spread
by fruit bats that feed on the flesh of the fruits. The production of this tree is
significantly more important than that of B. obovata . However, this species seems
to be heading towards extinction and the very good quality of its fruits justifies
urgent conservation measures. Its geographical distribution in Vanuatu is very
narrow since it is known only from a single village in South West Bay on
Malekula. The fruits may be cooked according to need and baked on embers just
before they reach maturity, or they may be eaten raw when they are fully ripe.
7.3.4 Canarium harveyi and Canarium indicum
The English common name of these species is pili nut. There are several
botanical varieties of C. harveyi Seemann and two are found in Vanuatu: var.
nova hebridense in the north (Banks archipelago) and var. harveyi in
Erromango. Distinctions are made mostly on the shape of the nut (var. harveyi
has a triangular section while var. nova hebridense has three dorsal crests and
one ventral crest) but there are no molecular data to support this morphological
distinction. The vegetative parts do not differ from variety to variety, and the
taxonomic separation of the two species is therefore debatable. Propagation is
done by planting the endocarp of very ripe fruits. The uses are the same as
those of C. indicum L. but the kernels are bigger and oilier and are consequently
preferred. However, there is tremendous variation, and some trees produce
kernels with unwanted aroma. Quality control is thus a complex endeavour.
Canarium indicum also shows great variability in Vanuatu. The variation
includes the shape of the fruits but also the number of kernels in a shell, their