View source for Aleurites moluccanus

{{Short description|Species of tree in the family Euphorbiaceae}}
{{redirect|Kukui|the band|Kukui (band)}}
{{redirect|Kemiri|the Indonesian district|Kemiri, Indonesia}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Candlenut
|image = Starr 020803-0119 Aleurites moluccana.jpg
|image_caption = Candlenut foliage, flowers, and nut
|status = LC
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Rivers, M.C. |author2=Barstow, M. |author3=Mark, J. |date=2017 |title=''Aleurites moluccanus'' |volume=2017 |page=e.T18435618A18435622 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T18435618A18435622.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
|genus = Aleurites
|species = moluccanus
|authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]) [[Carl Ludwig Willdenow|Willd.]]<ref name="IPNI1">{{cite web |title=Aleurites moluccanus |url=https://www.ipni.org/n/338514-1 |website=[[International Plant Names Index]] |access-date=20 February 2021}}</ref>
|synonyms = ''Aleurites javanicus'' <small>Gand.</small><br />
''Aleurites moluccana''<ref name="biodiversitylibrary.org">{{cite book|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/122459#page/790/mode/1up|title=Caroli a Linné(1805); Species Plantarum Edn. 4, 4(1): 590|first1=Linné, Carl|last1=von|first2=Willdenow, Karl|last2=Ludwig|date=10 September 2018|isbn=9780665553387 }}</ref><br />
''Aleurites pentaphyllus'' <small>Wall. ex Langeron</small><br />
''Aleurites remyi'' <small>Sherff</small><br />
''Aleurites trilobus'' <small>J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.</small><br />
''[[Jatropha]] moluccana'' <small>L.</small><ref name="GRIN">{{GRIN | access-date=2009-11-15}}</ref>
}}

'''''Aleurites moluccanus''''', commonly known as '''candlenut''', is a tree in the spurge family [[Euphorbiaceae]]. It grows to about {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall and produces [[drupe]] fruit.

First described by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1753, the species' origin is unclear due to its spread by humans, but it can be found in many tropical rainforests and gallery forests. Various parts of the plant have regional or cultural uses.

==Description==
The candlenut ( Hawaiian name '''Kukui''') grows to a height of up to {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}}, with wide spreading or pendulous branches. The [[leaves]] are pale green, [[Glossary of leaf morphology|simple]], and [[Glossary of leaf morphology|ovate]] or heart-shaped on mature shoots, but may be three-, five-, or seven-lobed on saplings.<ref name="COOPER">{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Wendy |last2=Cooper |first2=William T. |title=Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest |date=2004 |publisher=Nokomis Editions |location=Melbourne, Australia |isbn=0-9581742-1-0 |page=171}}</ref> They are up to {{convert|20|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=2}} long and {{convert|13|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=2}} wide and young leaves are densely clothed in rusty or cream stellate hairs. [[Petiole (botany)|Petiole]]s measure up to {{convert|12.5|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=2}} long and [[stipules]] about {{convert|5|mm|in|abbr=on|frac=8}}.<ref name="RFK">{{cite web |author1=F.A.Zich |author2=B.P.M.Hyland |author3=T.Whiffen |author4=R.A.Kerrigan |author2-link=Bernard Hyland |year=2020 |access-date=7 June 2021 |url=https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/text/entities/Aleurites_moluccanus.htm |title=''Aleurites moluccanus'' |website=[[Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants]] Edition 8 (RFK8) |publisher=Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), [[Australian Government]]}}</ref>

The flowers are small; male flowers measure around 5&nbsp;mm in diameter, female flowers about 9&nbsp;mm.<ref name="RFK"/>

The fruit is a [[drupe]] about {{convert|4|–|6|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} in diameter with one or two lobes; each lobe has a single soft, white, oily, kernel contained within a hard shell which is about {{convert|2|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=4}} in diameter.<ref name=COOPER/> These nuts, upon germinating, produce [[cotyledon]]s or seed leaves up to {{cvt|9|cm}} long by {{cvt|5.5|cm}} wide.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hzn |first=D. Burger |date=1972 |title=Seedlings of some tropical trees and shrubs mainly of South East Asia |location=Wageningen, Netherlands |publisher=Centre for Agricultural Publication and Documentation |page=83 |isbn=90-220-0416-3 |url=https://edepot.wur.nl/281730 |format=PDF }}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
This plant was first described by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in his ''[[Species Plantarum]]'' (1753) as ''Jatropha moluccana''.<ref name="IPNI2">{{cite web |title=Jatropha moluccana |url=https://www.ipni.org/n/350347-1 |website=[[International Plant Names Index]] |access-date=20 February 2021}}</ref><ref>Sp. Pl. 2: 1006</ref> It was renamed as ''Aleurites moluccana'' by [[Carl Ludwig Willdenow]] in an 1805 edition of ''Species Plantarum'',<ref name="biodiversitylibrary.org" /><ref>Sp. Pl. 4: 590</ref> but the ending was corrected to match the gender of the Latin genus ''Aleurites moluccanus''.

While there are many online references to the spelling "Aleurites moluccana", this is not accepted by botanical authorities such as the [[International Plant Names Index]] or the [[Germplasm Resources Information Network]].

=== Etymology ===
The genus name derives from the [[Ancient Greek]] {{wikt-lang|grc|ἄλευρον}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|áleuron}}), meaning "flour" or "meal", and refers to the new growth which appears to be dusted with flour. The [[Botanical name#Binary name|species epithet]] means "from the Moluccas".<ref name=COOPER/>

==Distribution and habitat==
Its native range is impossible to establish precisely because of early spread by humans, and the tree is now distributed throughout the [[New World|New]] and [[Old World]] tropics including the [[Indian subcontinent]], [[Southeast Asia]], [[Papuasia]], [[Queensland]], and some islands of the western Pacific Ocean.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The candlenut was first domesticated on the islands of Southeast Asia. Remains of harvested candlenuts have been recovered from archaeological sites in [[Timor]] and [[Morotai]] in eastern Indonesia, dated to around 13,000 and 11,000 [[Before Present|BP]], respectively.<ref name="BlenchFruits">{{cite journal |last1=Blench |first1=Roger |title=Fruits and arboriculture in the Indo-Pacific region |journal=Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association |date=2004 |volume=24 |issue=The Taipei Papers (Volume 2) |pages=31–50 |url=https://journals.lib.washington.edu/index.php/BIPPA/article/viewFile/11869/10496}}</ref> Archaeological evidence of candlenut cultivation is also found in [[Neolithic]] sites of the [[Toalean culture]] in southern [[Sulawesi]] dated to around 3,700 to 2,300 BP.<ref name="Simanjuntak2006">{{cite book|first1=Truman|last1=Simanjuntak|editor1-first=Truman|editor1-last=Simanjuntak|editor2-first=M.|editor2-last=Hisyam|editor3-first=Bagyo|editor3-last=Prasetyo|editor4-first=Titi Surti|editor4-last=Nastiti|title =Archaeology: Indonesian Perspective : R.P. Soejono's Festschrift|chapter =Advancement of Research on the Austronesian in Sulawesi|publisher =Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)|year =2006|pages=223–231|isbn =9789792624991|chapter-url =https://books.google.com/books?id=dSFfD0dpdS4C&pg=PA223}}</ref><ref name="Hasanuddin2018">{{cite book|author=Hasanuddin|editor1-first=Sue|editor1-last= O'Connor|editor2-first=David |editor2-last=Bulbeck|editor3-first= Juliet |editor3-last=Meyer|title =The Archaeology of Sulawesi: Current Research on the Pleistocene to the Historic Period|chapter =Prehistoric sites in Kabupaten Enrekang, South Sulawesi|publisher =ANU Press|series =terra australis|volume=48|year =2018|doi= 10.22459/TA48.11.2018.11|pages=171–189|isbn = 9781760462574|s2cid=134786275|chapter-url =http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n4569/html/ch11.xhtml |doi-access=free }}</ref> Candlenuts were widely introduced into the [[Pacific islands]] by early [[Austronesian peoples|Austronesian voyagers]] and became naturalized to high volcanic islands.<ref name="Larrue2010">{{cite journal |last1=Larrue |first1=Sébastien |last2=Meyer |first2=Jean-Yves |last3=Chiron |first3=Thomas |title=Anthropogenic Vegetation Contributions to Polynesia's Social Heritage: The Legacy of Candlenut Tree (''Aleurites moluccana'') Forests and Bamboo (''Schizostachyum glaucifolium'') Groves on the Island of Tahiti |journal=Economic Botany |date=2010 |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=329–339 |doi=10.1007/s12231-010-9130-3|bibcode=2010EcBot..64..329L |s2cid=28192073 }}</ref><ref name="Weisler2015">{{cite journal |last1=Weisler |first1=Marshall I. |last2=Mendes |first2=Walter P. |last3=Hua |first3=Quan |title=A prehistoric quarry/habitation site on Moloka'i and a discussion of an anomalous early date on the Polynesian introduced candlenut (kukui, ''Aleurites moluccana'') |journal=Journal of Pacific Archaeology |date=2015 |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=37–57 |doi=10.70460/jpa.v6i1.162 |url=https://www.pacificarchaeology.org/index.php/journal/article/view/162|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Kirch1989">{{cite journal |last1=Kirch |first1=Patrick V. |title=Second Millennium B.C. Arboriculture in Melanesia: Archaeological Evidence from the Mussau Islands |journal=Economic Botany |date=1989 |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=225–240 |doi=10.1007/bf02859865|bibcode=1989EcBot..43..225K |s2cid=29664192 }}</ref>

''A. moluccanus'' grows in tropical rainforests and gallery forests. It is a very fast-growing tree and often appears in disturbed rainforest. In Australia the altitudinal range is from sea level to {{convert|800|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="RFK"/>

==Ecology==
In Australia the seeds are eaten by rodents, in particular the [[giant white-tailed rat]]. The broken shells of the fruits are often found underneath the trees.<ref name="RFK"/>

The larvae of the [[coleoptera]]n ''[[Agrianome fairmairei]]'' feed on dead candlenut wood,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/60175173a3cfed0d5902d6c77119b822|title=Catalogue of Life : Agrianome fairmairei (Montrouzier, 1861)|website=www.catalogueoflife.org}}</ref> and are considered a delicacy in [[New Caledonia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lafoatourisme.nc/fiche.asp?id_pdt=352|title=Fête du ver de bancoul (Evénements > Thèmes locaux)|website=www.lafoatourisme.nc}}</ref>

==Toxicity==
Because the seeds contain [[saponin]], [[phorbol]], and [[Toxalbumin|toxalbumins]] they are mildly toxic when raw,<ref name="Scott" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Bilang |first1=Mariyati |last2=Mamang |first2=Mamang |last3=Salengke |first3=Salengke |last4=Putra |first4=Reski Praja |last5=Reta |first5=Reta |date=2018-12-31 |title=Elimination of toxalbumin in candlenut seed (Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd) using wet heating at high temperature and identification of compounds in the candlenut glycoprotein |url=http://pasca.unhas.ac.id/ojs/index.php/ijas/article/view/649 |journal=International Journal of Agriculture System |language=en |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=89–100 |doi=10.20956/ijas.v6i2.649 |issn=2580-6815|doi-access=free }}</ref> inducing a [[laxative]] effect.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-04-22 |title=Aleurites moluccana - Kukui, Indian Walnut, Candlenut, Kuikui |url=https://wildlifeofhawaii.com/flowers/1007/aleurites-moluccana-kukui/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers |language=en-US}}</ref> Heat treatment reduces the toxicity of the protein component.<ref name=":1" />

== Uses ==

=== Culinary ===
While mildly toxic when raw,<ref name="Scott">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=99Dr7v8JOKAC |title=Poisonous Plants of Paradise: First Aid and Medical Treatment of Injuries from Hawaii's Plants |first=Susan |last=Scott |author2=Craig Thomas |publisher=[[University of Hawaii Press]] |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-8248-2251-4 |page=26}}</ref> the nut is appreciated in many cultures once cooked or toasted. In [[Indonesian cuisine|Indonesian]] and [[Malaysian cuisine]], it is commonly used in curries,<ref name="HCO2">{{Cite book |last=Hean Chooi Ong |title=Rempah ratus: khasiat makanan & ubatan |publisher=Utusan Publications |year=2008 |isbn=9789676121059 |location=Kuala Lumpur |pages=84–85}}</ref> and on the Indonesian island of [[Java (island)|Java]], it is used to make a thick sauce that is eaten with vegetables and rice.<ref>{{Citation|last=Lim|first=T. K.|title=Aleurites moluccanus|date=2012|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1764-0_61|work=Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 2, Fruits|pages=465–471|editor-last=Lim|editor-first=T. K.|place=Dordrecht|publisher=Springer Netherlands|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-94-007-1764-0_61|isbn=978-94-007-1764-0|access-date=2021-04-22|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

A Hawaiian condiment known as ''[[inamona|ʻinamona]]'' is made from roasted ''kukui'' (candlenuts) mixed into a paste with salt. ''ʻInamona'' is a key ingredient in traditional Hawaiian ''[[Poke (Hawaii)|poke]]''.<ref name="Laudan">{{cite book |last1=Laudan |first1=Rachel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZnsTxepydfQC&pg=PA37 |title=The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage |date=1996 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=9780824817787 |pages=37–38 |access-date=2017-01-28}}</ref>

=== Other uses ===
[[File:2015 Baha Liurai - candle nut sticks.JPG|thumb|Women in [[East Timor]] preparing candlenut sticks to illuminate a festival]]
The kernel is the source of [[candlenut oil]],<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Razal |first1=Ramon |title=Non-Wood Forest Products of the Philippines |last2=Palijon |first2=Armando |publisher=El Guapo Printing Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-971-579-058-1 |location=Calamba City, Laguna |pages=67}}</ref> which has no known toxicity and is not an irritant, even to the eyes.<ref>Price, Len.  Carrier Oils For Aromatherapy And Massage, 4th edition 2008 p 119. {{ISBN|1-874353-02-6}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=February 2024}}

In [[Ancient Hawaii|ancient Hawaiʻi]], ''kukui'' nuts were burned to provide light. The nuts were strung in a row on a palm leaf midrib, lit on one end, and burned one by one every fifteen minutes or so. This led to their use as a measure of time. Hawaiians extracted the oil from the nut and burned it in a stone oil lamp called a ''kukui hele po'' (light, darkness goes) with a wick made of ''[[kapa]]'' cloth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=September 9, 2016 |title=Candlenut Tree Provides More Than Light |url=https://bigislandnow.com/2016/09/09/candlenut-tree-provides-more-than-light/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917184356/http://bigislandnow.com:80/2016/09/09/candlenut-tree-provides-more-than-light/ |archive-date=2016-09-17 |access-date=2021-05-17 |website=Big Island Now}}</ref>

Hawaiians had many other uses for the tree, including [[Lei (Hawaii)|leis]] from the shells, leaves, and flowers; ink for tattoos from charred nuts; a [[varnish]] with the oil; and fishermen would chew the nuts and spit them on the water to break the [[surface tension]] and remove reflections, giving them greater underwater visibility. A red-brown dye made from the inner bark was used on ''kapa'' and ''aho'' (''[[Touchardia latifolia]]'' cordage). A coating of ''kukui'' oil helped preserve ''ʻupena'' ([[fishing net]]s).<ref name=":0" /> The ''nohona waʻa'' (seats) and ''pale'' ([[gunwale]]s) of ''waʻa'' ([[outrigger canoe]]s) were made from the wood.<ref>{{cite book |last=Krauss |first=Beatrice H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WOdrGIP3zksC |title=Plants in Hawaiian Culture |publisher=[[University of Hawaii Press]] |year=1993 |isbn=9780824812256 |pages=50–51 |chapter=Chapter 4: Canoes}}</ref>  The trunk was sometimes used to make smaller canoes used for fishing.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dunford |first=Betty |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PpKyFZXO_jEC |title=Hawaiians of Old |author2=Lilinoe Andrews |author3=Mikiala Ayau |author4=Liana I. Honda |author5=Julie Stewart Williams |publisher=Bess Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-57306-137-7 |edition=3 |page=122}}</ref>

The oil can often be found in Indonesian hair-care products.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Panduan Lengkap Manfaat Minyak Kemiri Dalam Mengatasi Kebotakan Atau Rambut Rontok – Roegan |url=https://roegan.com/panduan-lengkap-manfaat-minyak-kemiri-dalam-mengatasi-kebotakan-atau-rambut-rontok/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |language=en-US}}</ref> In Fiji, where the nut is called ''sikeci'', the oil is used in cosmetic products.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Native Plant Network — Reforestation, Nurseries and Genetics Resources |url=https://npn.rngr.net/renderNPNProtocolDetails?selectedProtocolIds=euphorbiaceae-aleurites-2415 |access-date=2021-05-17 |website=npn.rngr.net}}</ref>

Wealthier members among the [[Batak]] people have their coffins (Karo: ''[[pelangkah]]'') made from the wood, carved in the shape of a boat whose bow is decorated with the carved head of a [[hornbill]], a horse, or a [[mythical beast]] known as a [[Singa (mythology)|singa]].{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

In the Philippines, the fruit and tree are traditionally known as ''lumbang'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pinoytrees.blogspot.com/2008/11/learning-trees-that-places-were-named.html |title=Learning the Trees that Places were Named after |author=metscaper (Patrick Gozon) |date=12 November 2008 |work=Our Philippine Trees |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref> after which [[Lumban]], a lakeshore town in [[Laguna (province)|Laguna province]], is named. Before the intrusion of non-native species, it was frequently used as a property-line manager, because its silvery underleaf makes the tree easy to distinguish from a distance.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yFOykgEACAAJ|title=Philippine Native Trees 101: Up Close and Personal|date=2012-01-01|publisher=Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy|isbn=9789719546900|pages=337|language=en}}</ref>

In the state of [[Sabah]], [[East Malaysia|Malaysian Borneo]], the Dusun tribes call the fruit ''godou'' and use it in tattoo-making as an optional ingredient for the ink.<ref>Lindung, Malinggou (2016) Lahan Mongimpapak Kadazan-Dusun. Kadazan Language Foundation, Sabah (in Kadazan)</ref>

As recently as 1993 on the outlying islands of the kingdom of Tonga, candlenuts were chewed into sweet-scented [[emollient]] used during a traditional [[funeral|funerary ritual]]. They were used for making various sweet-smelling oils for the skin.<ref>{{citation | editor-last1 = Morrison | editor-first1 = R. Bruce | editor-first2 = C. Roderick | editor-last2 = Wilson | date = 2002 | title = Ethnographic Essays in Cultural Anthropology | location = Bellmont, CA | publisher = F.E. Peacock Publishers | page = 18 | isbn = 0-87581-445-X }}</ref> In Australia, [[Aboriginal Australians]] used them for a variety of similar purposes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Candlenut tree: Aboriginal Use of Native Plants|url=http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/stage4_5/nativeplants/gallery/candlenut/index.html|website=science.uniserve.edu.au|access-date=27 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810202019/http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/stage4_5/nativeplants/gallery/candlenut/index.html|archive-date=10 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Candle Nut |url=http://www.sgapqld.org.au/information-and-publications/bush-tucker-articles/248-candle-nut |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228112736/http://www.sgapqld.org.au/information-and-publications/bush-tucker-articles/248-candle-nut |archive-date=2016-02-28 |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=www.sgapqld.org.au}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | author=J. H. Maiden | year=1889 | title=The useful native plants of Australia : Including Tasmania | publisher= Turner and Henderson, Sydney | url=https://primo-slnsw.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=SLNSW_ALMA21105097830002626&context=L&vid=SLNSW&search_scope=EEA&tab=default_tab&lang=en_US}}</ref>

In [[Flores]] near [[Ende (town)|Ende]], it is called ''kéloré'' and used as a [[mordant]] for dyes with ''[[Morinda citrifolia]]'' (''mengkudu'').<ref name="texttrip">{{cite web |title= Flores ikat – its all about the villages |website= asiatextilejourney.wordpress.com |date= December 2015 |url= https://asiatextilejourney.wordpress.com/tag/ende/ |access-date= 2024-06-20 }}</ref>

On the island of [[Rapa Iti]] in the [[Austral Islands]], fish hooks were carved from the endocarp of the candlenut as a result of lacking other suitable material. These fish hooks were quite small and were used for catching certain species of fish, such as ''[[Leptoscarus vaigiensis]]'' ({{lang|ray|Komokomo}}) and ''[[Stegastes fasciolatus]]'' ({{lang|ray|Nganga}}).<ref>{{cite book|last=Anderson, Atholl|author-link=Atholl Anderson|title=Taking the High Ground: The Archaeology of Rapa, a Fortified Island in Remote East Polynesia|publisher=ANU E Press|date=2012|page=146|isbn=978-1-922144-25-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kZxZc5t-HsMC&pg=PA146}}</ref>

== In culture ==
The plant is also known by the common names '''candleberry''', '''Indian walnut''', '''''kemiri''''', '''varnish tree''', '''''nuez de la India''''', '''''buah keras''''', '''''godou''''', '''kukui nut tree''', and '''''rata kekuna'''''.

The [[Proto-Austronesian]] word for candlenut is reconstructed as ''*kamiri'', with modern [[cognate]]s including [[Hanunó'o language|Hanunó'o]], [[Iban language|Iban]], and [[Sundanese language|Sundanese]] ''muncang''; [[Javanese language|Javanese]] and [[Malay language|Malay]] ''kemiri'';<ref name="Kamus1">
For comparison:

* {{Cite dictionary |title=kemiri |dictionary=Kamus Dewan |publisher=Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Malaysia |url=http://prpm.dbp.gov.my/Cari1?keyword=kemiri |date=2017 |edition=4th}}

* {{Cite dictionary |title=kemiri |dictionary=Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia |publisher=Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia |url=https://kbbi.kemdikbud.go.id/entri/kemiri |date=2016 |edition=3rd}}

* {{Cite dictionary |title=kemiri |dictionary=Kamus Melayu Riau-Indonesia |publisher=Balai Bahasa Sumatera Utara Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa Republik Indonesia |date=2018 |edition= |page=194}}

* {{Cite dictionary |title=kemiri |dictionary=Kamus Melayu Sumatera Utara-Indonesia |publisher=Balai Bahasa Sumatera Utara Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa Republik Indonesia |date=2018 |edition= |page=125}}
</ref> and [[Tetun language|Tetun]] ''kamii'', however the [[Oceania]]n words for candlenut is believed to be derived from [[Proto-Austronesian]] ''*CuSuR'' which became [[Proto-Malayo-Polynesian]] ''*tuhuR'', originally meaning "string together, as beads", referring to the construction of the candlenut torches. It became [[Proto-Eastern-Malayo-Polynesian]] and [[Proto-Oceanic]] ''*tuRi'' which is then [[reduplicated]]. Modern cognates including [[Fijian language|Fijian]], [[Tongan language|Tongan]], [[Rarotongan language|Rarotongan]], and [[Niue language|Niue]] ''tui-tui''; and [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] ''kui-kui'' or ''kukui''.<ref name="blusttrusell">{{cite journal |last1=Blust |first1=Robert |last2=Trussel |first2=Stephen |date=2013 |title=The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary: A Work in Progress |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265931196 |journal=Oceanic Linguistics |volume=52 |issue=2 |pages=493–523 |doi=10.1353/ol.2013.0016 |s2cid=146739541}}</ref>

The Malay language in both{{What|date=October 2024}} has another name given to the nut which is ''buah keras'' (literally "hard fruit").<ref name="Kamus2">* {{Cite dictionary |title=buah keras |dictionary=Kamus Dewan |publisher=Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Malaysia |url=http://prpm.dbp.gov.my/Cari1?keyword=buah+keras |date=2017 |edition=ke-4}}

* {{Cite dictionary |year=2018 |title=buah keras |dictionary=Kamus Melayu Riau-Indonesia |publisher=Balai Bahasa Sumatera Utara Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa Republik Indonesia |edition= |page=194}}</ref><ref name="HCO2" />

In Uganda, the seed is referred to as ''kabakanjagala'', meaning "the [[Kabaka of Buganda|king]] loves me".<ref>[http://nicoletteorlemans.com/2012/06/25/young-ugandan-journalist/ Cultural Impressions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006232434/http://nicoletteorlemans.com/2012/06/25/young-ugandan-journalist/|date=2014-10-06}}</ref>

In [[Maui]], the ''kukui'' is a symbol of enlightenment, protection, and peace.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Moore|first=Jason|date=January 2006|title=The tree of light|url=https://www.mauimagazine.net/kukui-tree-of-light/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-17|website=Maui Magazine|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914213024/https://mauimagazine.net/kukui-tree-of-light/ |archive-date=2017-09-14 }}</ref> [[Kamapua'a|Kamapuaʻa]], the hog-man fertility demigod, was said to be able to transform into a ''kukui'' tree.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NAWebiC2gasC&pg=PA16 |first=Nancy Alpert |last=Mower |chapter=Kamapuaʻa: A Hawaiian Trickster |title=Trickster Lives: Culture and Myth in American Fiction |publisher=University of Georgia Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-8203-2277-3 |editor=Jeanne Campbell Reesman |page=16}}</ref> One of the legends told of Kamapuaʻa: one day, a man beat his wife to death and buried her beneath Kamapuaʻa while he was in tree form.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} ''Kukui'' was named the [[state tree]] of Hawaii on 1 May 1959<ref>{{cite book |last=Kepler |first=Angela Kay |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6DjyNkRevskC |title=Hawaiian Heritage Plants |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-8248-1994-1 |page=113}}</ref> due to its multitude of uses.<ref>{{citation |last=Elevitch |first=Craig R. |title=''Aleurites moluccana'' (kukui) |date=April 2006 |page=10 |url=http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Aleurites-kukui.pdf |series=The Traditional Tree Initiative: Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry |location=Honolulu |publisher=Permanent Agriculture Resources |author2=Harley I. Manner}}</ref> It also represents the island of [[Molokai|Molokaʻi]], whose symbolic color is the silvery green of the ''kukui'' leaf.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode=packed heights=180>
File:Aleurites moluccana flower4.jpg |Flowers
File:The young leaves of Aleurites moluccana.JPG|Young leaves demonstrating their hairy character
File:石栗 Aleurites moluccana -香港迪欣湖 Inspiration Lake, Hong Kong- (9240151848).jpg |Inflorescence
File:Candle nuts (kemiri).jpg |Candlenuts (''kemiri'') from [[Indonesia]]
File:Aleur moluc 090225-6553 lomb.jpg |Sawn timber, [[Lombok]], Indonesia
File:Aleur moluc 090225-6624 lomb.JPG |Wood handicraft made from timber of this species, Lombok, Indonesia
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia]]
* [[Candlenut oil]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|auto=1|cookbook=Candlenut|commonscat=yes}}
* {{cite web | author=Gozun, Patrick | title=Our Philippine Trees | date=12 November 2008 | url=http://pinoytrees.blogspot.com/2008/11/learning-trees-that-places-were-named.html}}
* {{cite web | url=http://www.hear.org/pier/species/aleurites_moluccana.htm | title=Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk factsheet}}
* {{cite web | url=http://www.hear.org/starr/plants/images/species/?q=aleurites+moluccana | title=Kukui images | publisher=Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk}}
* {{citation |url=http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry/trees/CommonTreesHI/CFT_Aleurites_moluccana.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101228233705/http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry/trees/CommonTreesHI/CFT_Aleurites_moluccana.pdf | archive-date = 2010-12-28 | title= Agriculture Handbook | volume = 679 | chapter = Kukui, candlenut-tree |first1=Elbert L. |last1=Little Jr. |first2=Roger G. |last2=Skolmen |publisher=[[United States Forest Service]] |year=1989 |url-status=dead }}
* [http://libproject.hkbu.edu.hk/was40/detail?lang=en&channelid=1288&searchword=herb_id=D00903 Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd] Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University) {{in lang|zh-hant}} {{in lang|en}}
* {{AfricanPlants|Aleurites moluccana}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170510113848/https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/instance/apni/657358 Aleurites moluccana usage of name]
* [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/122459#page/790/mode/1up Linnaeus 1805 Species Plantarum Volume 4, full text free download from BHL]

{{Nuts}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1160961}}

[[Category:Aleuritideae]]
[[Category:Symbols of Hawaii]]
[[Category:Edible nuts and seeds]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Flora of China]]
[[Category:Flora of Taiwan]]
[[Category:Flora of tropical Asia]]

[[Category:Flora of Queensland]]
[[Category:Austronesian agriculture]]