Durio

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Durio (family Bombacaceae) A genus of rain-forest trees whose slender parts are covered with peltate scales. The flowers have numerous stamens, are often cauliflorous or ramiflorous, and are probably all bat-pollinated. The fruit is a big, woody, spiny capsule. The seeds are prominently arillate. D. zibethinus, cultivated for its creamy, pungent arils, arouses strong passions, because of its repulsive smell but delicious flavour, and ‘is worth a trip to the east’ ( A. R. Wallace). There are 27 species occurring from Burma to the Philippines.

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