Karuka: Difference between revisions

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'''''Pandanus julianettii''''', also called '''karuka''', '''karuka nut''', or '''''Pandanus'' nut''', is a species of tree in the [[Pandanaceae]] family and an important regional food crop.<ref name="Lim">{{cite book |last1=Lim |first1=Tong Kwee |title=Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants |date=2012 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-94-007-4053-2 |pages=128-130 |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-94-007-4053-2_17 |accessdate=31 August 2018 |doi=10.1007/978-94-007-4053-2_17 |language=English |format=PDF |chapter=''Pandanus julianettii'' |volume=4 |oclc=822591349}}</ref>
'''''Pandanus julianettii''''', also called '''karuka''', '''karuka nut''', or '''''Pandanus'' nut''', is a species of tree in the [[Pandanaceae]] family and an important regional food crop.<ref name="Lim">{{cite book |last1=Lim |first1=Tong Kwee |title=Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants |date=2012 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-94-007-4053-2 |pages=128-130 |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-94-007-4053-2_17 |accessdate=31 August 2018 |doi=10.1007/978-94-007-4053-2_17 |language=English |format=PDF |chapter=''Pandanus julianettii'' |volume=4 |oclc=822591349}}</ref> The nuts are more nutritious than [[coconut]]s,<ref name="Rose82"/> and are so popular that villagers will move their entire households closer to trees for the harvest season.<ref name="Bourke"/><ref name="Bourke88"/>


==Names==
==Names==
Line 214: Line 214:
It most closely resembles ''[[Pandanus utilissimus|P. utilissimus]]'', which is found the [[Philippines]].<ref name="Martelli"/> People also harvest and eat nuts of ''P. antaresensis'', ''P. brosimos'', ''P. dubius'', ''P. iwen'', and ''P. limbatus'', and ''[[Pandanus odoratissima|P. odoratissima]]''<ref name="Bourke"/>
It most closely resembles ''[[Pandanus utilissimus|P. utilissimus]]'', which is found the [[Philippines]].<ref name="Martelli"/> People also harvest and eat nuts of ''P. antaresensis'', ''P. brosimos'', ''P. dubius'', ''P. iwen'', and ''P. limbatus'', and ''[[Pandanus odoratissima|P. odoratissima]]''<ref name="Bourke"/>


There are up to 35 cultivated [[Variety (botany)|varieties]] of karuka, many with different kernel shapes.<ref name="French"/> Named varieties include: [[Goalia]], [[Gurubu]], [[Hagidara]], [[Henga]], [[Homagal-iba]], [[Honde]], [[Kabali]], [[Kai]], [[Kebali]], [[Mabu]], [[Ngaule]], [[Padua]], [[Pari]], [[Tabuna]], [[Tenyon]], [[Tolo]], [[Tumbi]], and [[Tumbu]]; with Tabuna and Henga being some of the most important ones.<ref name="Rose82">{{cite journal |last1=Rose |first1=C. J. |editor1-last=Bourke |editor1-first=Richard Michael |editor2-last=Kesavan |editor2-first=V. |title=Preliminary Observations on the ''Pandanus'' nut (''Pandanus jiulianettii'' Martelli) |journal=Proceedings of the Second Papua New Guinea Food Crops Conference |date=1982 |volume=1 |pages=160-167 |publisher=The Publications Section, Department of Primary Industry |location=Port Moresby |language=English |oclc=17294235}}</ref> At least two varieties are edible raw.<ref name="French"/> [[Benjamin Clemens Stone]] posits that ''P. julianettii'' and ''P. brosimos'' are a single species with many varieties, but does not support this point.<ref name="Stone">{{cite book |last1=Stone |first1=Benjamin C. |authorlink1=Benjamin Clemens Stone |editor1-last=Gressitt |editor1-first=J. L. |title=Biogeography and Ecology of New Guinea |date=1982 |publisher=Springer |location=Dordrecht |isbn=978-94-009-8632-9 |pages=401-436 |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-8632-9_17 |accessdate=5 October 2018 |language=English |format=PDF |chapter=7 New Guinea Pandanaceae: first approach to ecology and biogeography |volume=1 |oclc=5679030487 |doi=10.1007/978-94-009-8632-9_17}}</ref> However, [[Simon G. Haberle]] notes that the pollen of the two trees are indistinguishable by [[light microscopy]].<ref name="Haberle"/>
There are up to 35 cultivated [[Variety (botany)|varieties]] of karuka, many with different kernel shapes.<ref name="French"/> Named varieties include: [[Goalia]], [[Gurubu]], [[Hagidara]], [[Henga]], [[Homagal-iba]], [[Honde]], [[Kabali]], [[Kai]], [[Kebali]], [[Mabu]], [[Ngaule]], [[Padua]], [[Pari]], [[Tabuna]], [[Tenyon]], [[Tolo]], [[Tumbi]], and [[Tumbu]].<ref name="Rose82">{{cite journal |last1=Rose |first1=C. J. |editor1-last=Bourke |editor1-first=Richard Michael |editor2-last=Kesavan |editor2-first=V. |title=Preliminary Observations on the ''Pandanus'' nut (''Pandanus jiulianettii'' Martelli) |journal=Proceedings of the Second Papua New Guinea Food Crops Conference |date=1982 |volume=1 |pages=160-167 |publisher=The Publications Section, Department of Primary Industry |location=Port Moresby |language=English |oclc=17294235}}</ref> Tabuna, and Henga some of the most important ones.<ref name="Rose82"/> Tabuna is popular because it is high-yielding, tastes good, and has no [[taboo]]s on who/what can eat it and how/if it is cooked.<ref name="Rose82"/> At least two varieties are edible raw.<ref name="French"/> [[Benjamin Clemens Stone]] posits that ''P. julianettii'' and ''P. brosimos'' are a single species with many varieties, but does not support this point.<ref name="Stone">{{cite book |last1=Stone |first1=Benjamin C. |authorlink1=Benjamin Clemens Stone |editor1-last=Gressitt |editor1-first=J. L. |title=Biogeography and Ecology of New Guinea |date=1982 |publisher=Springer |location=Dordrecht |isbn=978-94-009-8632-9 |pages=401-436 |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-8632-9_17 |accessdate=5 October 2018 |language=English |format=PDF |chapter=7 New Guinea Pandanaceae: first approach to ecology and biogeography |volume=1 |oclc=5679030487 |doi=10.1007/978-94-009-8632-9_17}}</ref> However, [[Simon G. Haberle]] notes that the pollen of the two trees are indistinguishable by [[light microscopy]].<ref name="Haberle"/>


==Distribution==
==Distribution==
Giulianetti's type specimens were collected from [[Vanapa]], [[British New Guinea]]<ref name="Martelli"/> (now southern [[Papua New Guinea]]). The tree can be found cultivated or wild on [[New Guinea]], both in PNG and [[Papua (province)|Papua province]].<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="French"/> Wild trees are found on the [[Huon Peninsula]] and in the highlands of New Guinea's central [[cordillera]].<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="Bourke"/> In Papua New Guinea, the tree is most commonly grown in [[Southern Highlands Province|Southern Highlands]], [[Western Highlands Province|Western Highlands]], [[Eastern Highlands Province|Eastern Highlands]], [[Enga Province|Enga]], and [[Chimbu Province]]s, and it is found in all provinves on the mainland except [[East Sepik]].<ref name="Quartermain">{{cite book |editor1-last=Quartermain |editor1-first=Alan R. |editor2-last=Tomi |editor2-first=Barbara |title=Fruits and Nuts: Research and Development Issues in Papua New Guinea Papers presented at the Fruits and Nuts Workshop held at the IATP Farmer Training Centre, University of Natural Resource and Environment (formerly University of Vudal) from 11–13 October 2005 |date=2010 |publisher=National Agricultural Research Institute |location=Lae, Papua New Guinea |url=http://www.nari.org.pg/sites/default/files/publications/proceedings/fruits&nuts_R&DIssues.pdf |accessdate=2 October 2018 |language=English |format=PDF |series=Workshop Proceedings |volume=9}}</ref> It grows in [[montane forests]]<ref name="Stone"/> between 1,300 and 3,300&nbsp;m in elevation in areas that get 2-5&nbsp;m mean annual [[precipitation]].<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="Bourke"/> It grows in both dry and wet soils,<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="Bourke"/> but prefers good soil fertility.<ref name="French"/> Trees will grow in clumped groups of 5 to 10 individuals per hectare.<ref name="Bourke"/>
Giulianetti's type specimens were collected from [[Vanapa]], [[British New Guinea]]<ref name="Martelli"/> (now southern [[Papua New Guinea]]). The tree can be found cultivated or wild on [[New Guinea]], both in PNG and [[Papua (province)|Papua province]].<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="French"/> Wild trees are found on the [[Huon Peninsula]] and in the highlands of New Guinea's central [[cordillera]].<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="Bourke"/> In Papua New Guinea, the tree is most commonly grown in [[Southern Highlands Province|Southern Highlands]], [[Western Highlands Province|Western Highlands]], [[Eastern Highlands Province|Eastern Highlands]], [[Enga Province|Enga]], and [[Chimbu Province]]s, and it is found in all provinves on the mainland except [[East Sepik Province|East Sepik]].<ref name="Quartermain">{{cite book |editor1-last=Quartermain |editor1-first=Alan R. |editor2-last=Tomi |editor2-first=Barbara |title=Fruits and Nuts: Research and Development Issues in Papua New Guinea Papers presented at the Fruits and Nuts Workshop held at the IATP Farmer Training Centre, University of Natural Resource and Environment (formerly University of Vudal) from 11–13 October 2005 |date=2010 |publisher=National Agricultural Research Institute |location=Lae, Papua New Guinea |url=http://www.nari.org.pg/sites/default/files/publications/proceedings/fruits&nuts_R&DIssues.pdf |accessdate=2 October 2018 |language=English |format=PDF |series=Workshop Proceedings |volume=9}}</ref> It grows in [[montane forests]]<ref name="Stone"/> between 1,300 and 3,300&nbsp;m in elevation in areas that get 2-5&nbsp;m mean annual [[precipitation]].<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="Bourke"/> It grows in both dry and wet soils,<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="Bourke"/> but prefers good soil fertility.<ref name="French"/> Trees will grow in clumped groups of 5 to 10 individuals per hectare.<ref name="Bourke"/>


==Ecology==
==Ecology==
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==Use by humans==
==Use by humans==
On New Guinea karuka is cultivated crop,<ref name="Lim"/> and has been used as a major food source since nearly 31,000 years ago in the [[Pleistocene]].<ref name="Denham"/> In PNG nearly 2 million people (almost half the rural population) live in regions where karuka is commonly eaten.<ref name="Quartermain"/> There is high demand for it in the [[New Guinea Highlands]]: Entire households (including [[Domestic pig|pigs]], who are sometimes fed the fruits<ref name="Rose82"/>) will move from the valleys to higher elevations at harvest time,<ref name="Bourke"/> often for several weeks.<ref name="Bourke88"/> However trade is small-scale and not commercial.<ref name="Bourke"/> Each household will average 12 to 176 trees.<ref name="Bourke88">{{cite book |last1=Bourke |first1=Richard Michael |title=Taim hangre: variation in subsistence food supply in the Papua New Guinea highlands |date=May 1988 |publisher=Australian National University |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320345192_Taim_hangre_variation_in_subsistence_food_supply_in_the_Papua_New_Guinea_highlands |oclc=224338489 |accessdate=27 September 2018 |language=English |format=PDF}}</ref> Local [[marketplace]]s typically will have 12 to 50 fruits for sale.<ref name="Bourke88"/> With some coordination between state agencies and private sector, karuka could have export [[market access]].<ref name="Quartermain"/> The crop has a medium potential for large-scale sustainable commercialization in the region, but care must be taken in the sensitive local environments to expanded agriculture.<ref name="Bourke"/> Diets of tree owners could also be negatively influenced by rapid commercialization.<ref name="Bourke"/>
On New Guinea karuka is cultivated crop,<ref name="Lim"/> and has been used as a major food source since nearly 31,000 years ago in the [[Pleistocene]].<ref name="Denham"/> In PNG nearly 2 million people (almost half the rural population) live in regions where karuka is commonly eaten.<ref name="Quartermain"/> There is high demand for it in the [[New Guinea Highlands]]: Entire households (including [[Domestic pig|pigs]], who are sometimes fed the fruits<ref name="Rose82"/>) will move from the valleys to higher elevations at harvest time,<ref name="Bourke"/> often for several weeks.<ref name="Bourke88"/> Each household will average 12 to 176 trees.<ref name="Bourke88">{{cite book |last1=Bourke |first1=Richard Michael |title=Taim hangre: variation in subsistence food supply in the Papua New Guinea highlands |date=May 1988 |publisher=Australian National University |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320345192_Taim_hangre_variation_in_subsistence_food_supply_in_the_Papua_New_Guinea_highlands |oclc=224338489 |accessdate=27 September 2018 |language=English |format=PDF}}</ref>


Trade in karuka is small-scale and not commercial.<ref name="Bourke"/> Local [[marketplace]]s typically will have 12 to 50 fruits for sale.<ref name="Bourke88"/> With some coordination between state agencies and private sector, karuka could have export [[market access]].<ref name="Quartermain"/> The crop has a medium potential for large-scale sustainable commercialization in the region, but care must be taken in the sensitive local environments to expanded agriculture.<ref name="Bourke"/> Diets of tree owners could also be negatively influenced by rapid commercialization.<ref name="Bourke"/>
The [[endosperm]], a white kernel, is eaten raw, [[Roasting|roasted]], [[Smoking (cooking)|smoked]],<ref name="Lim"/> or [[Earth oven|mumued]].<ref name="French"/> Nuts that aren't immediately eaten are typically [[Food drying|sun-dried]] for storage.<ref name="French"/> The karuka kernels have a sweet, [[coconut]] taste.<ref name="Lim"/> Smoked or cooked karuka is either stored in the [[rafter]]s or sold at local marketplaces.<ref name="Lim"/> The uncooked clusters can also be stored for months buried in waterlogged earth.<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="French"/><ref name="Rose82"/> It is a regional [[staple food]] and one of the few plants in the area with a high [[protein]] content.<ref name="Lim"/> The spongy core of the [[multiple fruit]] cluster can also be cooked and eaten after the nuts are removed.<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="French"/> The

The [[endosperm]], a white kernel, is eaten raw, [[Roasting|roasted]], [[Smoking (cooking)|smoked]],<ref name="Lim"/> or [[Earth oven|mumued]].<ref name="French"/> Nuts that aren't immediately eaten are typically [[Food drying|sun-dried]] for storage.<ref name="French"/> The karuka kernels have a sweet, [[coconut]] taste.<ref name="Lim"/> Smoked or cooked karuka is either stored in the [[rafter]]s or sold at local marketplaces.<ref name="Lim"/> The uncooked clusters can also be stored for months buried in waterlogged earth.<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="French"/><ref name="Rose82"/> It is a regional [[staple food]] and one of the few plants in the area with a high [[protein]] content.<ref name="Lim"/> The spongy core of the [[multiple fruit]] cluster can also be cooked and eaten after the nuts are removed.<ref name="Lim"/><ref name="French"/>

Some subjective reports indicate that children are healthier after karuka season, but there may also be increased incidence of [[tropical ulcer]]s and [[Clostridial necrotizing enteritis|pig-bel]] (''[[Clostridium perfringens]]'').<ref name="Rose82"/> But the connections, if valid, are unclear.


Trunks and buttress roots are used for building.<ref name="Lim"/> The leaves are used for [[The bush|bush]] [[Shelter (building)|shelters]].<ref name="Lim"/>
Trunks and buttress roots are used for building.<ref name="Lim"/> The leaves are used for [[The bush|bush]] [[Shelter (building)|shelters]].<ref name="Lim"/>

Revision as of 15:22, 12 October 2018

Karuka
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Missing taxonomy template (fix): Karuka
Species:
P. julianettii
Binomial name
Pandanus julianettii
Synonyms
Karuka kernels
Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy2,259–2,929 kJ (540–700 kcal)
30.4-33.5 g
Dietary fiber9.2-15.1 g
35.6-38.1 g
11.9-14.6 g
Tryptophan102-136 mg
Threonine435-482 mg
Isoleucine503-555 mg
Leucine904-993 mg
Lysine426-526 mg
Methionine272-279 mg
Cystine204-234 mg
Phenylalanine571-613 mg
Tyrosine408-438 mg
Valine745-832 mg
Arginine1238-1329 mg
Histidine293-336 mg
Alanine585-642 mg
Aspartic acid1064-1197 mg
Glutamic acid2285-2453 mg
Glycine638-701 mg
Proline530-613 mg
Serine545-584 mg
MineralsQuantity
%DV
Calcium
75%
110-460 mg
Iron
2328%
419 mg
Phosphorus
191%
220-360 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water9%
Cholesterol0
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[4] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[5]
Source: [3][2]
Karuka core (mesocarp)
Nutritional value per 100 g
Dietary fiber5.3 g
0.43 g
8.5 g
Threonine289 mg
Isoleucine281 mg
Leucine485 mg
Lysine196 mg
Methionine170 mg
Phenylalanine315 mg
Tyrosine323 mg
Valine340 mg
Arginine255 mg
Histidine162 mg
Alanine391 mg
Aspartic acid672 mg
Glutamic acid748 mg
Glycine459 mg
Proline196 mg
Serine315 mg
MineralsQuantity
%DV
Calcium
9%
120 mg
Phosphorus
11%
140 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Cholesterol0
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[4] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[5]
Source: [3][2]

Pandanus julianettii, also called karuka, karuka nut, or Pandanus nut, is a species of tree in the Pandanaceae family and an important regional food crop.[6] The nuts are more nutritious than coconuts,[2] and are so popular that villagers will move their entire households closer to trees for the harvest season.[7][8]

Names

The specific epithet "julianettii" honors naturalist Amedeo Giulianetti, who found the original type specimens.[1]

Karuka is a loanword from Tok Pisin.[9][10] Sometimes the tree is called 'karuga'[11] or 'karuka nut pandanus.'[12] The term 'karuka' can apply to both Pandanus julianettii and P. brosimos, though the latter is usually called 'wild karuka.'[7] Both species, as well as P. dubius, can be called 'pandanus nut.'[7] In addition to P. brosimos, 'wild karuka' can also refer to P. antaresensis,[12] P. iwen, and P. limbatus, but nuts from these trees are a much smaller part of the local diet.[7] In contexts where multiple karuka species are discussed, P. julianettii is sometimes termed 'planted karuka.'[12]

In New Guinea it goes by different names among each of the Papuan peoples.[6] In the Ankave language it is xweebo.[6] It is yase in the Baruya language.[6] The Huli language word is anga, and it is also anga in the Duna language.[6][3] In Kewa language it is aga,[6][3] but it is unclear of this is in Erave (South Kewa), East Kewa, Pasuma (West Kewa), and/or the Kewa pandanus language. The plant is called ama in the Wiru language.[3][6] In the Pole language it's called maisene.[6][3] It goes by ank in Angal language.[6][3] The Imbongu language word is amo.[6][3]

Description

The species was originally described by Ugolino Martelli from only a few drupes in the collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew[1] He was hesitant to describe it as a new species from only that, but the characteristics we so salient he published his description.[1]

The tree is dioecious (individual plants either have male flowers of female ones),[6] with male trees uncommon compared to females.[3] It reaches 10-30 m high with a grey trunk[2] of 30 cm diameter and supported by buttress roots.[6] The top of the tree sometimes branches, producing three or four crowns of leaves.[3] Each crown will produce a single cluster of nuts, typically once every other season.[3] Production is affected by the seasonality of local rainfall.[7]

Leaves spiral up the trunk in opposite pairs.[6][3] The large leathery leaves are 3-4 m long[3] and 8-12 cm wide.[6] The apex of the leaf is attenuate and doubly-pleated, with prickles pointing up at the tip[6] and along the margins and midrib.[2]

The inflorescence on male trees is a densely-branched spadix with a dozen long spikes, each containing many staminate phalanges.[6] In each phalange is a column 3 mm long topped by up to 9 subsessile anthers.[6] The male flowers are white.[3]

The pollen has a psilate exine (unornamented outer wall) 0.8 μm thick.[13] The ornamentation is granular between echinae (short spines).[13] The ulcerate aperture is 3 μm in diameter.[13] Pollen grains measure an average of 30 × 14.5 μm in size.[13]

On female trees, the inflorescence is a single ellipsoid or ovoid syncarp, or fruiting head, with off-white bracts.[6] Female flowers can produce fruit without pollination.[2] The tree stops making leaves when new fruit is growing.[3] The syncarp has up to a thousand densely-packed single-celled carpels that later turn into drupes.[6][3]

The clavate, pentagonal drupes measure up to 12 cm long and have a sharpened base,[1] but typically are 9×1.5 cm.[6] Each cluster contains about 1000 nuts.[3] The endocarp is bony and thin,[6] 5½ cm long, with rounded edges about 1½ cm wide.[1] The seed-bearing locule is around 4 cm long.[1] The core of the mature head (mesocarp) has an appearance like honeycomb and is spongy[6] and pink.[3] The top of the mesocarp is fibrous, from 3 cm long and up.[1] Though Martelli did not have a complete syncarp, he knew the cluster of fruit must be large, estimating at least 30 cm in diameter.[1] He was correct, as the fruiting cluster is typically 15 to 30 cm in diameter.[3] A mature head and stalk weigh up to 16 kg,[6] but average 6 kg.[3]

It most closely resembles P. utilissimus, which is found the Philippines.[1] People also harvest and eat nuts of P. antaresensis, P. brosimos, P. dubius, P. iwen, and P. limbatus, and P. odoratissima[7]

There are up to 35 cultivated varieties of karuka, many with different kernel shapes.[3] Named varieties include: Goalia, Gurubu, Hagidara, Henga, Homagal-iba, Honde, Kabali, Kai, Kebali, Mabu, Ngaule, Padua, Pari, Tabuna, Tenyon, Tolo, Tumbi, and Tumbu.[2] Tabuna, and Henga some of the most important ones.[2] Tabuna is popular because it is high-yielding, tastes good, and has no taboos on who/what can eat it and how/if it is cooked.[2] At least two varieties are edible raw.[3] Benjamin Clemens Stone posits that P. julianettii and P. brosimos are a single species with many varieties, but does not support this point.[9] However, Simon G. Haberle notes that the pollen of the two trees are indistinguishable by light microscopy.[13]

Distribution

Giulianetti's type specimens were collected from Vanapa, British New Guinea[1] (now southern Papua New Guinea). The tree can be found cultivated or wild on New Guinea, both in PNG and Papua province.[6][3] Wild trees are found on the Huon Peninsula and in the highlands of New Guinea's central cordillera.[6][7] In Papua New Guinea, the tree is most commonly grown in Southern Highlands, Western Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Enga, and Chimbu Provinces, and it is found in all provinves on the mainland except East Sepik.[12] It grows in montane forests[9] between 1,300 and 3,300 m in elevation in areas that get 2-5 m mean annual precipitation.[6][7] It grows in both dry and wet soils,[6][7] but prefers good soil fertility.[3] Trees will grow in clumped groups of 5 to 10 individuals per hectare.[7]

Ecology

Karuka produces fruit around February, with an occasional secondary season in July.[3] Typically each branch will only flower every other year.[3] The natural pollination syndrome is unknown, but the flowers can be pollinated by humans.[7] Seed dispersal is by humans, birds, and other animals.[7] A fallen syncarp will disintegrate completely in about 3 days in the forest.[2]

Fungal pests of karuka include leaf spot, diffuse leaf spot, black leaf mould (Lembosia pandani), sooty mold (Meliola juttingii), and fungus on seeds (Macrophoma pandani).[3] The leaf moulds do not do much damage.[3] The sooty mould seems to grow on insect frass.[3] The black leaf mold only affects some varieties.[3]

The bacteria Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum can also cause bacterial soft rot and necrosis on the leaves, but causes more severe damage to the related species Pandanus conoideus.[11]

Longhorn grasshoppers are serious insect pests.[3] Segestes gracilis and Segestidea montana eat the leaves and can sometimes kill trees.[3] Growers will stuff leaves and grass in between the leaves of the crown to keep insects out.[3] An unknown species of black grub will burrow into the cluster and eat the spongy core, causing the nuts to turn black and the whole bunch to fall off the tree.[3] Woodboring beetles sometimes attack the prop root of the tree.[3]

Possums also eat the nuts, and growers will put platforms on the trunks of trees to keep them out.[3]

Harvested nuts are often beset by rats and cockroaches.[3] Hanging nuts in the smoky areas above fires can prevent this, but after a while the taste of the nuts is affected.[3]

Use by humans

On New Guinea karuka is cultivated crop,[6] and has been used as a major food source since nearly 31,000 years ago in the Pleistocene.[10] In PNG nearly 2 million people (almost half the rural population) live in regions where karuka is commonly eaten.[12] There is high demand for it in the New Guinea Highlands: Entire households (including pigs, who are sometimes fed the fruits[2]) will move from the valleys to higher elevations at harvest time,[7] often for several weeks.[8] Each household will average 12 to 176 trees.[8]

Trade in karuka is small-scale and not commercial.[7] Local marketplaces typically will have 12 to 50 fruits for sale.[8] With some coordination between state agencies and private sector, karuka could have export market access.[12] The crop has a medium potential for large-scale sustainable commercialization in the region, but care must be taken in the sensitive local environments to expanded agriculture.[7] Diets of tree owners could also be negatively influenced by rapid commercialization.[7]

The endosperm, a white kernel, is eaten raw, roasted, smoked,[6] or mumued.[3] Nuts that aren't immediately eaten are typically sun-dried for storage.[3] The karuka kernels have a sweet, coconut taste.[6] Smoked or cooked karuka is either stored in the rafters or sold at local marketplaces.[6] The uncooked clusters can also be stored for months buried in waterlogged earth.[6][3][2] It is a regional staple food and one of the few plants in the area with a high protein content.[6] The spongy core of the multiple fruit cluster can also be cooked and eaten after the nuts are removed.[6][3]

Some subjective reports indicate that children are healthier after karuka season, but there may also be increased incidence of tropical ulcers and pig-bel (Clostridium perfringens).[2] But the connections, if valid, are unclear.

Trunks and buttress roots are used for building.[6] The leaves are used for bush shelters.[6]

Karuka can be cultivated by cutting a mature branch and replanting it (vegetative propagation).[3] Suckers can also be replanted.[3] Nurseries also plant seeds directly.[3] New nuts will grow when a tree is at least five or six years old, and can keep producing for up to fifty years.[3][2]

In Upper Karint near Pingirip karukas are planted as boundary lines between garden plots.[3]

In culture

In PNG's Central Province Premier Rugby League the team for Goilala District is called the Karukas.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Martelli, Ugolino (December 1907). Martelli, Ugolino (ed.). "Pandanus Nuove Specie Descritte Manipolo II" (PNG). Webbia, Raccolta di Scritti Botanici (in Italian). 2. Firenze: Istituto botanico dell'Università di Firenze: 433. doi:10.1080/00837792.1907.10803460. ISSN 2169-4060. OCLC 899525984. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rose, C. J. (1982). Bourke, Richard Michael; Kesavan, V. (eds.). "Preliminary Observations on the Pandanus nut (Pandanus jiulianettii Martelli)". Proceedings of the Second Papua New Guinea Food Crops Conference. 1. Port Moresby: The Publications Section, Department of Primary Industry: 160–167. OCLC 17294235.
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  11. ^ a b Tomlinson, D. L. (January 1988). "A Leaf and Fruit Disease of Pandanus conoideus caused by Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora in Papua New Guinea". Journal of Phytopathology. 121 (1). Berlin and Hamburg: Paul Parey Scientific Publishers: 19–25. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0434.1988.tb00948.x. ISSN 0931-1785. OCLC 4660013776. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  12. ^ a b c d e f Quartermain, Alan R.; Tomi, Barbara, eds. (2010). Fruits and Nuts: Research and Development Issues in Papua New Guinea Papers presented at the Fruits and Nuts Workshop held at the IATP Farmer Training Centre, University of Natural Resource and Environment (formerly University of Vudal) from 11–13 October 2005 (PDF). Workshop Proceedings. Vol. 9. Lae, Papua New Guinea: National Agricultural Research Institute. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  13. ^ a b c d e Haberle, Simon G. (November 1995). "Identification of cultivated Pandanus and Colocasia in pollen records and the implications for the study of early agriculture in New Guinea" (PDF). Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. 4 (4). Springer-Verlag: 195–210. doi:10.1007/BF00235751. ISSN 1617-6278. OCLC 192800152. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  14. ^ Pangkatana, John (September 21, 2018). "Karukas to be put to acid test in Central playoffs The Goilala Karukas are set to move into high gear" (HTML). Post Courier Online (in Englush). Retrieved 4 October 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

Category:Pandanus Category:Plants described in 1907 Category:Trees of New Guinea Category:Edible nuts and seeds Category:Fruits originating in Asia Category:Tropical fruit Category:Tropical agriculture Category:Non-timber forest products