| Willughbeia sarawacensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Willughbeia |
| Species: | W. sarawacensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Willughbeia sarawacensis (K. Schum.}[1] |
|
Willughbeia sarawacensis, commonly known as kubal or kubal madu, is a tropical fruit and vine native to Borneo. The Kubal fruit is the shape, size and color of a grapefruit with a thin melon-like rind, and has a concentrated yet excellent taste, comparable to mango, soursop, and pineapple combined. At the government experiment station near Kuching, Sarawak they are grown on elevated platforms and said to start producing in less than two years.[2]
In northern Borneo there are at least three edible species of Willughbeia known to the natives, which grow on spineless vines up to the size of a man's arm. They climb by tendrils as shown. They are not easily marketed because of the difficulty in harvesting the ripe fruits in the forest canopy. Limited tests in the American tropics show susceptibility to fungus diseases and slower growth. Willughbeia edulis is a relative and commonly consumed fruit in Cambodia, as well eaten in India, Myanmar, Vietnam and parts of Thailand.