Terminalia cunninghamii

Terminalia cunninghamii, commonly known as pindan quondong, pindan walnut or kalumburu almond,[1] is a tree or shrub of the family Combretaceae native to Western Australia.[2] Some Aboriginal people know the plant as kumpaja.[1]

Pindan quondong
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Combretaceae
Genus: Terminalia
Species:
T. cunninghamii
Binomial name
Terminalia cunninghamii

The tree or shrub typically grows to a height of 1.5 to 8 metres (5 to 26 ft) in height and is deciduous. It blooms between January and October producing white-yellow flowers.[2] It will fruit after two or three years, the nut that is produced is edible and when uncooked tastes like almond but when roasted tastes more like cashew nuts.[1]

It is found among sandstone outcrops and on dunes in the Kimberley region of Western Australia growing in sandy soils.[2]

A project is under way as of 2021 to cultivate the tree alongside orchards of gubinge (Terminalia ferdinandiana, aka Kakadu plum) in the Broome area.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Terminalia cunninghamii – Pindan Walnut (seed)". Herbalistics. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Terminalia cunninghamii". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. ^ Mills, Vanessa (16 August 2021). "Why superfruits could see this red dirt field in Broome deliver an annual, $5m crop within years". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 August 2021.