Taun

Taun is one of the most important trees in the Solomon Islands’ forests – a source of valuable timber and sweet, lychee-like fruit.

Pometia pinnata is a large tree of the soapberry family, reaching 40–50 m, with prominent plank buttresses at the base of the trunk. It has large pinnate leaves whose young flushes are bright red. Its round fruits, green, red or dark purple, contain a sweet, jelly-like aril similar to that of lychee or longan. The wood, known in the trade as taun, is moderately hard and used in building and to make plywood.

Significance in the country

For years Pometia was one of the main species harvested by logging companies in the Solomon Islands, and its fruits are a prized seasonal treat at markets. The loss of old trees to logging worries villagers.

Where it grows

Common in the lowland rainforests of all the larger islands, especially on Choiseul, Isabel, in Western Province, on Guadalcanal and Malaita, where logging has been intensive.

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