Common Names: Civet Fruit, Stinkvrucht
Genus: Durio
Species: zibethinus

The durian is thought to be one of Southeast Asia`s most ancient and primitive trees. It grows in lowland rainforests, and is native to Borneo, Indonesia and Malaysia. It bears large, odoriferous ( which smell strongly) fruits directly from its trunk and main branches. Scientists think it is one of the first plants to rely on animals to disperse its seed. It does this by bribing them with a nutritious and smelly food surrounding its seed. After eating the durian an animal would wander around looking for more food and deposit the seed far from the parent tree, encased in its own package of fertilizer. The durian has a lifespan of 80 to 150 years, but can live longer than that. It is believed that durians only die when they are blown down in a storm or cut down by man.

Description :

In the rainforest wild durians can grow to heights of 90 to 130 feet . These trees do not bear fruit every year. The trunks are straight and about 4 feet in diameter and can form buttresses. The bark is dark brown, rough with many vertical splits. It peels off irregularly, an adaptation to prevent epiphytes, lianas and parasitic vines from growing on it. The branches can be straight or curved and are covered with coppery or gray scales when they are young. There are at least 15 different species of wild durians. The flowers have a strong odor which attracts its principle pollinator, a small bat called a Dawn Bat (Eonycteris spelea). They grow in clusters of 1 to 45 flowers directly from the trunk or main branch. The large flowers are creamy white to golden-brown in color. The flowers are nocturnal bloomers and open from around 3 pm to midnight. The most notorious part of a durian tree is its fruit. The fruit is ovoid, almost round in shape, and about 5 to 6 in. wide and 12 in long. It can weigh up to 18 lbs. Walking under a durian tree when the fruit is ripe could be hazardous to your health because the tough, yellowish rind is covered with densely set and pointed 3 to 7-sided spines. The durian gets its name from the Malay word duri,which means thorn. The incredibly strong odor of the durian aril is an advertisement to all kinds of animals that a great meal is waiting for them. Because the seeds are so big the durian tree depends on large animals like elephants and rhinoceros to eat and disperse the seeds. The seeds are tough enough not to be damaged by chewing or digestive juices. Other animals, like monkeys, gibbons, fruit doves, tapirs, orangutans and man enjoy the fruit of the durian.

Use :

The Durian is used as a food item although it is an acquired taste. The durian fruit has a powerful odor reminiscent of decayed onions, Limburger cheese and sherry wine. But the texture is like a smooth, creamy custard and it has a rich, sweet, faintly almond flavor. Many people are hesitant at first to eat the fruit because of its odor, but once they do, they find it delicious and irresistible. Durian is one of the favorite fruits in Southeast Asia where it is known as the"King of Fruit". Most of the durians sold in the market are grown on plantations and one durian can cost $7 American dollars.