Kecapi (Sandoricum koetjape)

Kecapi (Sandoricum koetjape) is a plant species belonging to the Meliaceae family. It is a medium-to-large, lush, upright tree reaching heights of 5–30 meters (though typically around 20 meters), with a trunk diameter of 30–106 cm. It exhibits sympodial branching, with branches that are rounded, light brown in color, and contain a milky sap. The root system consists of a taproot and large, brown, branching buttress roots.

The leaves are compound, consisting of three leaflets arranged alternately, with petioles reaching up to 18 cm in length. The leaflets are elliptic to ovate, measuring 14 cm in length and 8 cm in width, with entire (smooth) margins. The surfaces are glossy and smooth; they are green when young and turn dark green with age. The base is obtuse, the apex is acuminate (pointed), the upper surface has a papery texture, and the underside is rough.

The flowers are borne in axillary, pendulous panicles 12–26 cm long. These indeterminate inflorescences are yellowish-white. Each flower has five fused sepals (calyx) and five free petals (corolla). There are 18 stamens, which are attached to the corolla, along with a single pistil.

The fruit is a fleshy, simple berry. It is green when young and turns orange upon ripening. The fruit is round to slightly oblong, with a diameter of 5–8 cm; the outer skin is covered in fine, velvety hairs. There are typically 5–15 fruits per cluster on a single stalk.

S. koetjape grows in tropical lowlands—including areas that are consistently wet or characterized by warm, semi-humid monsoon climates—at elevations ranging from 0 to 1,000 meters. It thrives in regions with an annual rainfall of 1,500–3,000 mm, preferring deep, organic-rich, fertile, loose, sandy-loam alluvial soils with excellent drainage.

The ripe fruit has a flavor that is sour, astringent, and sweet. It has a thick rind, and the seeds inside resemble those of a mangosteen. The fruit can be eaten fresh or processed into candied fruit, *rujak* (spicy fruit salad), marmalade, or a seasoning for fish dishes. The wood is of high quality and is used for house construction, tools, and handicrafts.

A decoction of the leaves is used to reduce fever. Powdered bark is used to treat roundworm infections. The roots are used as a remedy for bloating, stomach aches, and diarrhea, and to aid in the recovery of women after childbirth.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Meliaceae
Subfamily: Melioideae
Tribe: Melieae
Genus: Sandoricum Cav. in Diss. 7: 359 (1789)
Species: Sandoricum koetjape (Burm.f.) Merr. in Philipp. J. Sci., C 7: 237 (1912)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Melia koetjape Burm.f. in Fl. Indica: 101 (1768)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Azedarach edule Noronha in Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunsten 5(4): 5 (1790)
Sandoricum glaberrimum Hassk. in Retzia 1: 145 (1855)
Sandoricum harmandianum Pierre ex Laness. in Pl. Util. Col. Franç.: 310 (1886)
Sandoricum harmandii Pierre in Fl. Forest. Cochinch.: t. 353B (1897)
Sandoricum harmsianum Perkins in Fragm. Fl. Philipp.: 31 (1904)
Sandoricum indicum Cav. in Diss. 7: 359 (1788)
Sandoricum indicum var. cochinchinense Pierre (1896)
Sandoricum ledermannii Harms in H.G.A.Engler, Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2. 19b(1): 172 (1940)
Sandoricum maingayi Hiern in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 1: 554 (1875)
Sandoricum nervosum Blume in Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 163 (1825)
Sandoricum radiatum King in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 64: 21 (1895)
Sandoricum serratum G.Don in Gen. Hist. 1: 680 (1831)
Sandoricum ternatum Blanco in Fl. Filip.: 346 (1837)
Sandoricum venosum M.Roem. in Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 1: 109 (1846)
Sandoricum vidalii Merr. in Publ. Bur. Sci. Gov. Lab. 6: 8 (1904)
Trichilia nervosa Vahl in Symb. Bot. 1: 31 (1790)
Trichilia venosa Spreng. in Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 3: 68 (1826)

PUBLICATIONS

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

Berendsohn, W.G., Gruber, A.K. & Monterrosa Salomón, J. (2012). Nova Silva Cusatlantica. Árboles natinos e introducidos de El Salvador. Parte 2: Angiospermae - Familias M a P y Pteridophyta. Englera 29-2: 1-300.

Castle, G.E. (1994). Flore des Seychelles Dicotylédones: 1-663. Orstom Editions.

Dy Phon, P. (2000). Dictionnaire des plantes utilisées au Cambodge: 1-915. Chez l'auteur, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

Girmansyah, D. & al. (eds.) (2013). Flora of Bali an annotated checklist: 1-158. Herbarium Bogorensis, Indonesia.

Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.

Kalkman, C. & al. (eds.) (1995-1996). Flora Malesiana 12: 1-784. Noordhoff-Kolff N.V., Djakarta.

Lê, T.C. (2003). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 2: 1-1203. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Newman, M., Ketphanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstrong, K. (2007). A checklist of the vascular plants of Lao PDR: 1-394. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Pandey, R.P. & Dilwakar, P.G. (2008). An integrated check-list flora of Andaman and Nicobar islands, India. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 32: 403-500.

Toyama, H. & al. (2013). Inventory of the woody flora in Permanent plats of Kampong Thom and Kompong Chhnang provinces, Cambodia. Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica 64: 45-105.

Turner, I.M. (1995). A catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 47(1): 1-346.

Wongprasert, T., Phengklai, C. & Boonthavikoon, T. (2011). A synoptic account of the Meliaceae of Thailand. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 39: 210-266.

VERNACULAR NAME

Brunei: Kelampu
Burmese: သစ်တို Thitto
Chinese (simplified): 仙都果
Chinese (traditional): 山道楝 - 山陀兒
English: Kecapi, Kechapi, Koetjape, Cotton fruit, Wild mangosteen
Filipino: Malasantol, Santol, Santor
Finnish: Santol
French: Faux-mangoustanier
Hong Kong: 山道楝
Indonesia: Kecapi, Ketuat, Sentul
Japanese: サントール
Java: Kecapi
Khmer: កំពង់រាជ្យ Kompeng reach
Lao: ທອງ Tong
Malaysia: Kecapi, Sentol, Kelampu
Melayu: Kechapi
Northern Thai: ᨷ᩵ᩤᨲᩬ᩶ᨦ
Russian: Сандорик индийский
Slovak: Sandorika indická
Taiwan: 山陀兒
Thai: กระท้อน

Aryo Bandoro
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